Table of Contents
đź“… Today in Jewish History
đź“… Year 1657 from Creation — The Beginning of the Flood – According to Rebbe Yehoshua
In the year 1657 from Creation, the Flood began. After the completion of seven days, “the waters of the Flood were upon the earth.” In the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, “all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened” (Parashat Noach).
📅 Today’s Yahrzeits
🕯️ Year 5553 (1793) — Passing of Rabbi Yechezkel ben Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi Landau – Author of Noda BiYehudah and Tziyon LeNefesh Chayah, of Prague — zt”l
🕯️ Year 5561 (1801) — Passing of the holy Rabbi Chaim, author of Amrei Chaim — zt”l
🕯️ Year 5591 (1831) — Passing of the holy Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim ben Rabbi Yechiel of Sudylkov, author of Degel Machaneh Ephraim — zt”l
🕯️ Year 5665 (1905) — Passing of the holy Rabbi Itamar ben Rabbi Yisrael
of Kansk‑Uvalia, author of Mishmeret Itamar — zt”l
🕯️ Year 5680 (1920) — Passing of the gaon and holy man
Rabbi Baruch ben Rabbi Mordechai Yehudah Leib Mandelbaum Av Beit Din of Turov–Stolin, author of Ketz HaYamin
🕯️ Year 5703 (1943), 11 Iyar — Passing of the holy Rabbi Mordechai ben Rabbi Yochanan of Rachmastrivka–Jerusalem — zt”l
🕯️ Year 5677 (1917) — Passing of the holy Rabbi Alter Shlomo Chaim ben Rabbi Yosef of Koidinov
 👤Their Background[1]
🕯️ Year 5553 (1793) — Passing of Rabbi Yechezkel ben Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi Landau
Chief Rabbi of Prague, author of Noda BiYehudah — of blessed memory
Rabbi Yechezkel ben Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi Landau, known throughout the generations by the title of his responsa Noda BiYehudah, was one of the greatest halachic authorities of the eighteenth century and the undisputed rabbinic leader of Bohemia and its surrounding lands. He was born in Opatów, Poland, in 5474 (1713), into a distinguished family of scholars and communal leaders whose lineage was traditionally traced to Rashi. From a young age, he was recognized for exceptional intellectual clarity and depth, and he pursued Torah study in the great centers of learning of Ludmir and Brody, where he was appointed a dayan while still in his early twenties.
After serving as rabbi of Yampol, Rabbi Landau rose to prominence as a voice of balance and authority during one of the most disruptive theological crises of his era—the Emden–Eybeschütz controversy. Through his letter Iggeret HaShalom, he sought to restore unity and calm at a time when Jewish communal life was threatened by internal division. His measured approach, firm in halacha yet restrained in tone, brought him international recognition and led to his appointment in 1755 as Chief Rabbi of Prague, then one of the largest and most politically sensitive Jewish communities in Europe.
In Prague, Rabbi Landau served simultaneously as chief dayan, rosh yeshiva, communal representative, and spiritual guardian of the community. His yeshiva attracted students from across Central and Eastern Europe, among them later giants of halacha. He maintained close relations with governmental authorities and used his influence to protect Jewish rights during periods of war, siege, and reform. While aware of secular learning and political change, he firmly opposed the encroachment of Enlightenment ideology into Torah life and stood as a defender of traditional rabbinic authority during an era of mounting pressure.
His written legacy is monumental. Noda BiYehudah remains one of the most authoritative collections of responsa in Jewish law, cited across all areas of halacha, while his Talmudic commentary Tziyon LeNefesh Chayah (Tzelach) is studied for its analytical depth. Study of his works has long been regarded in tradition as a segulah for clarity in Torah study and for instilling a deep desire for learning.
Rabbi Yechezkel Landau passed away in Prague on 17 Iyar 5553 (29 April 1793) and was laid to rest there. His passing marked the close of a generation in which rabbinic authority still stood at the center of Jewish communal life.
[1] Please not that these historical notes were prepared with the assistance of Copilot Pro, an AI Research Agent, and have not been independently verified.
