🗓️ Today in Jewish History – 14 th Tishreiy

🕯️ 14 Tishrei – Avraham Avinu’s Third Day of Travel to the Akeidah

According to the traditional reckoning that the Akeidas Yitzchak took place on Yom Kippur, 14 Tishrei was the third day of Avraham Avinu’s journey to Har HaMoriah.

It was on this day that the Torah states:

“On the third day Avraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.”

After traveling for three days in complete obedience to Hashem’s command, Avraham reached the point where he recognized Har HaMoriah, the future site of the Beis HaMikdash.

Chazal explain that the three-day journey served to demonstrate the depth of Avraham’s devotion. He was given ample opportunity to reconsider, yet every step brought him closer to fulfilling the will of Hashem.

 

🕯️ Avraham Avinu Seeks a Burial Place for Sarah Imeinu

According to the same chronology, 14 Tishrei is also associated with the events following the passing of Sarah Imeinu.

After mourning for his wife, Avraham Avinu began seeking a permanent burial place for her. He approached the people of Cheis and entered into negotiations to acquire Me’aras HaMachpelah from Ephron the Chittite.

The purchase of Me’aras HaMachpelah was the first permanent acquisition of land in Eretz Yisrael recorded in the Torah and became the burial place of:

• Sarah Imeinu
• Avraham Avinu
• Yitzchak and Rivkah
• Yaakov and Leah

🕯️ The search for a resting place for Sarah led to one of the most significant purchases in Jewish history, establishing the first eternal Jewish possession in the Holy Land.

 

🕯️ 14 Tishrei – The Birth of Rivkah Imeinu

According to the Midrash, Rivkah Imeinu was born at the time of the Akeidas Yitzchak.

Immediately after the Torah concludes the account of the Akeidah, it relates:

“And it was told to Avraham… Milkah has also borne children… and Besuel begot Rivkah.”

Chazal explain that at the very moment one chapter in the future of the Jewish people was completed through the Akeidah, Hashem prepared the next stage by bringing into the world the future wife of Yitzchak Avinu.

🕯️ Thus, on the heels of the Akeidah, the future Matriarch of Klal Yisrael entered the world, preparing the way for the continuation of the covenant of Avraham and Yitzchak.

 

🕯️ Completion of the Dedication of the First Beis HaMikdash

On 14 Tishrei, the seven-day celebration marking the dedication of the First Beis HaMikdash reached its conclusion.

For seven days, Shlomo HaMelech and all Israel rejoiced before Hashem as the Beis HaMikdash was inaugurated with unparalleled joy and celebration.

The nation gathered in Jerusalem from every corner of the country, witnessing the beginning of the permanent House of Hashem that would stand at the center of Jewish life for centuries.

🕯️ The completion of the Chanukas HaBayis marked one of the greatest moments of national rejoicing in Jewish history.

 

🗓️ Today’s Yartzites – 14 th Tishreiy

🕯️ The Martyrdom of Rabbi David ben Shlomo Nasi הי”ד

On this day, Rabbi David ben Shlomo Nasi and his son were martyred by the Spanish Inquisition, הי”ד.

They were among the many victims who gave their lives rather than abandon their faith and their people during the terrible persecutions that followed the expulsion era.

🕯️ Their memory remains part of the long chain of קדושי ישראל who sanctified Hashem’s Name under oppression and persecution.

 

🕯️ 1667 – The Passing of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Bass

In the year תכ”ז (1667) passed away the gaon Rabbi Menachem Mendel Bass of Frankfurt am Main, זצ”ל.

A distinguished Torah scholar and rabbinic leader, he served the Jewish community of Frankfurt and was respected by the leading sages of his generation.

🕯️ He is remembered among the prominent rabbinic figures of seventeenth-century Ashkenaz.

 

🕯️ 1803 – The Passing of Rabbi Shalom Shachna of Prohobisht

In the year תקס”ג (1803) passed away the holy Rabbi Shalom Shachna of Prohobisht, son of Rabbi Avraham HaMalach, and author of:

משמיע שלום

Rabbi Shalom Shachna was among the important Chassidic leaders of his generation and continued the spiritual legacy of his saintly father and grandfather, the Maggid of Mezritch.

His teachings emphasized faith, humility, and attachment to Hashem.

🕯️ Through his sefer Mashmia Shalom and his תלמידים, his influence continued long after his passing.

 

🕯️ 1807 – The Passing of Rabbi Yehudah Leib of Anipoli

In the year תקס”ז (1807) passed away the holy Rabbi Yehudah Leib ben Rabbi Yosef Gershon HaKohen of Anipoli, author of:

אור הגנוז

Rabbi Yehudah Leib was one of the prominent Chassidic masters of the generation following the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch. Known for his holiness, humility, and profound spiritual insight, he devoted his life to spreading the teachings of Chassidus and strengthening the service of Hashem among his followers.

His sefer Or HaGanuz contains teachings filled with faith, avodah, and deep explanations of Chassidic thought. The title, “The Hidden Light,” reflects his emphasis on revealing the inner Divine light concealed within Torah and within every Jew.

🕯️ He is remembered as one of the saintly figures of early Chassidus whose teachings continue to illuminate subsequent generations.

 

🕯️ 1815 – The Passing of the Kozhnitzer Maggid

In the year תקע”ה (1815) passed away the holy Rabbi Yisrael Hopstein of Kozhnitz, universally known as the Kozhnitzer Maggid, author of:

עבודת ישראל

Born to Rabbi Shabsai the Bookbinder, Rabbi Yisrael became one of the greatest leaders of Polish Chassidus and one of the foremost disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch.

The Kozhnitzer Maggid was legendary for his holiness, his heartfelt prayers, and his immense love for every Jew. Thousands traveled to Kozhnitz seeking his blessings, guidance, and inspiration.

His masterpiece, Avodas Yisrael, is considered one of the foundational works of Chassidic literature. The sefer contains Torah teachings on the weekly parshiyos, Yamim Tovim, and avodas Hashem, emphasizing joy, prayer, attachment to Hashem, and the inner meaning of mitzvos.

A noteworthy tradition is preserved in a copy of Avodas Yisrael that once belonged to the dayan of Kosov, author of פתחא זוטא. There it is cited in the name of the Toras Chaim that:

The sefer Avodas Yisrael should be studied with the same depth and careful contemplation with which one studies the holy Zohar.

This statement reflects the stature the sefer attained among later Chassidic masters, who regarded it not merely as a collection of homiletic teachings but as a profound work of inner Torah.

The Kozhnitzer Maggid’s influence extended far beyond his lifetime. His teachings became a foundation for numerous Chassidic dynasties, and his sefer remains a classic studied throughout the Chassidic world.

🕯️ With his passing, the Jewish world lost one of the greatest spiritual leaders of early Chassidus, but his Avodas Yisrael continues to inspire Jews seeking a deeper connection to Hashem through prayer, Torah, and heartfelt service.