Day of Hilula
Rabbeinu Yonah
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Toledo, Spain
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
Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona, author of Shaarei Teshuvah, was the uncle and teacher of Nachmanides. At first he opposed Maimonides; after the burning of the Talmud in Paris, he repented and composed works of ethics and moral instruction.
"A person should not say, 'I am unable'; rather, he should say, 'I do not wish to.'"