Day of Hilula
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai
א׳ בתשרי
Beir
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
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai was a member of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. He left besieged Jerusalem in a coffin, prophesied to Vespasian, and obtained from him Yavneh and its sages. He preserved the Torah and led the people of Israel after the destruction of the Temple.
"If you have learned much Torah, do not take credit for yourself, for that is what you were created for."