Day of Hilula
Chaim Vital Calabrese
ל׳ בניסן
Damascus, Ottoman Empire
In Jewish tradition, the day of a tzadik's passing — the 'Hilula' — is not a day of mourning, but a day of spiritual elevation and awakening. According to the teachings of Kabbalah, on this day the soul of the tzadik ascends to a higher realm, and their light and merits shine upon the world. Many Jews mark the day through Torah study, reciting Tehillim, lighting a memorial candle, and good deeds for the elevation of the soul — to connect with the tzadik's path and qualities.
His Life and Legacy
Rabbi Chaim Vital is the sole authoritative source for the Arizal’s kabbalistic teaching. Without him, the entire tradition of Lurianic Kabbalah would have been lost. His writings—chief among them Etz Chaim and Sha'ar HaGilgulim—remain the foundation of all study of Lurianic Kabbalah to this day. He is regarded as one of the greatest kabbalists of all generations, and his influence on the world of Kabbalah and Hasidism is immense.
"Everything I wrote in my books I did not write from my own mind, but only from what I received from my master, the Arizal."