🗓️✨ Luach Hayom – Today in Halacha & Jewish History: 15th Iyar

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đź“… Today in Jewish History

đź“ś The Beginning of the Manna

In II Chronicles (Divrei HaYamim II) 30 it is recorded that when the Children of Israel came from the Wilderness of Sin, toward evening the provisions they had taken out of Egypt—the cakes baked from the remnants of their dough—were exhausted, after having sufficed for a number of meals. The entire congregation of Israel complained, and on the following morning the manna began to descend for them.

According to Rashi on Exodus 16:1, this occurred on the sixteenth of Iyar. From the discussion in Shabbat 87b, it may be inferred that the manna first fell after nightfall. The Gemara in Yoma 75a teaches that the manna established for Israel a fixed time for their daily meal, and it was through the manna that the blessing of HaZan (Who sustains) was instituted (Kiddushin 37a; Berakhot 48b).

The manna was regarded as a segulah for clarity of mind and memory, and for this reason the Torah was given only to those who ate the manna—as a preparation of spiritual refinement. In later generations, this idea was cited in preparation teachings associated with the Rebbe of Skver, may he live long, and further traditions are recorded below regarding Lag BaOmer, including the custom of lighting the bonfire in the name of the Chatam Sofer, of blessed memory.

 

đź“ś Destruction and Lament

After the destruction of the community of Zintzira, Rabbi Mordechai ben Rabbi Hillel, may G‑d avenge his blood, composed the lament “Mah Rav Tuvcha.”

📅 Today’s Yahrzeits

🕯️ Year 5525 (1765) — Passing of Rabbi Aryeh Leib ben Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira of Vilna, of blessed memory, author of Ma’on Arayot.

🕯️ Year 5586 (1826) — Passing of Rabbi Aharon ben Rabbi Avraham Abeli, Chief Rabbi and Dayan of Metz and head of its yeshivah, author of Me’orei Or, of blessed memory.

🕯️ Year 5639 (1879) — Passing of the holy Rabbi Chaim Meir Yechiel, son of the holy Rabbi Avi Ezra Zelig Shapira, known as the Seraf of Mogelnitza, of blessed memory.

🕯️ Year 5684 (1924) — Passing of Rabbi Avraham Eliyahu, son of Rabbi Avraham Eliyahu Kaplan, author of Divrei Talmud, of blessed memory.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.