Day of Hilula
Rav Sherira Gaon
ח׳ בתשרי
Babylon
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
Rav Sherira Gaon, Gaon of the Pumbedita academy, authored the famous Epistle on the order of the generations and the redaction of the Talmud, which is a foundational source for the history of the Sages.
"I have received from my teachers that the Oral Torah was given at Sinai."