📅 Today in Jewish History – 22nd Iyar
đź“ś Â The Complaints of Israel and the Descent of the Selav
On this day, after Bnei Yisrael had journeyed for three days from Har Sinai with the Mishkan, the Torah relates that the people began to complain, a complaint that was evil in the ears of Hashem. This event marks the first spiritual failure following the departure from Sinai, after a period of elevated closeness to the Divine Presence. As it is written, “They journeyed from the Mountain of Hashem a three‑day journey”, and immediately thereafter the people turned toward grievance and longing.
In response to the people’s craving for meat and their rejection of the manna, Hashem caused the selav (quail) to begin falling upon the camp. A divine wind went forth from Hashem, bringing quail from the sea and casting them down in abundance all around the camp, for a distance of a day’s journey on every side. This marked the beginning of the episode known as Kivrot HaTa’avah, where desire overcame gratitude and abundance itself became a source of judgment.
Thus, this day stands revealed as a turning point:
the first days of travel with the Mishkan ended in complaint, and the gift of the selav descended—not as pure kindness, but as a response to misplaced yearning and spiritual descent.
📅 Today’s Yartzite – 22nd Iyar [1]
🕯️ Rav Shlomo Eliezer Alfandri — “The Saba Kadisha”
Yahrzeit: 22 Iyar 5690 (20 May 1930)
Born: ca. 5575–5586 (1815–1826), Constantinople (Istanbul)
Buried: Har HaZeitim, Jerusalem
Rav Shlomo Eliezer ben Yaakov Alfandri, revered throughout the Jewish world as the Saba Kadisha (“Holy Grandfather”), was one of the greatest Sephardic poskim, kabbalists, and Torah giants of the modern era. His authority was accepted without question by both Sephardic and Ashkenazic sages, and his name became synonymous with uncompromising fidelity to Torah, profound humility, and rare spiritual power.
Early life and formation
He was born in Constantinople into a distinguished rabbinic family whose lineage included great halakhic authors. Orphaned of his father at a young age, he was raised by his learned mother, who herself was deeply versed in Torah. From his youth he displayed extraordinary genius, diligence, and ascetic devotion to study. He famously refused honorific titles and rabbinic garb, describing himself simply as “a layman who learns Torah.”
Despite this resistance to public office, his peers compelled him to serve on the Spiritual Council of Constantinople while still a young man, and a dedicated yeshiva was established for him, where he taught many outstanding תלמידי חכמים—including Rav Chaim Chizkiyahu Medini, the author of the encyclopedic Sdei Chemed.
Public leadership
In his later years, Alfandri accepted positions not for honor but necessity. He served as:
- Chief Rabbi (Chacham Bashi) of Damascus
- Later Chief Rabbi and dayan of Tzefat (Safed) for nearly twenty years
- Eventually settling in Jerusalem, where he lived the final years of his life
Even in advanced age—well past ninety—his mental clarity and halakhic mastery astonished all who came before him. Great Torah leaders journeyed to consult him, recognizing him as the senior halakhic authority of the generation.
Torah stance and courage
Rav Alfandri was unyielding on matters of Torah integrity. He opposed:
- Conscription of Jews into the Ottoman army when it entailed inevitable חילול שבת and forbidden practices
- All forms of Torah compromise in education and public life
- Secular nationalism and religious dilution, issuing sharp letters even in old age against movements he believed endangered Torah observance
Despite his severity in principle, he was personally gentle, compassionate, and deeply concerned for the dignity of the poor. His responsa consistently sought unnecessary hardship to be avoided where halacha allowed leniency for human need.
Passing
On 22 Iyar 5690, Rav Shlomo Eliezer Alfandri passed away in Jerusalem, during Shacharit prayer, wrapped in his tallit and tefillin—a departure befitting a life wholly devoted to avodat Hashem. He was buried on Har HaZeitim, and tens of thousands mourned the passing of a living pillar of Torah.
Enduring legacy
The Saba Kadisha left behind:
- Hundreds of responsa (many preserved posthumously)
- An unmatched reputation for holiness (kedusha) and truth
- The model of a Torah leader who feared no authority but Heaven
His yahrzeit on 22 Iyar remains a day associated with unyielding Torah integrity, hidden righteousness, and awe before Hashem.
[1] Taken from Luach Itim Labina
