Grave

Yehuda HaNasi

Tanna

Yahrzeit (Hillula)

15 Kislev — Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi - Rabbeinu HaKadosh

Resting Place of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, Rabbeinu HaKadosh

Yahrzeit - 15 Kislev;

Burial Place - Tzippori;

Segula - praying for Rachamim (mercy)

After the passing of Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, his son Rabbi Yehuda became the head of the Sanhedrin. For almost five decades he served as the political leader of the people, the spiritual head, and the teacher of his generation. Our Sages of blessed memory, praising his virtues, said that he combined boundless devotion to Torah with true greatness. His students simply called him Rabbi - the teacher - or Rabbeinu HaKadosh (Our Holy Rabbi).

Our Sages, listing positive human qualities, noted that all of them were manifest in Rabbi and his sons. Leading the Jewish people during a period of relative respite, Rabbi managed to prepare them for the long and difficult exile ahead.

Rabbi Yehuda and his students compiled and edited the Mishnah - the collection of the fundamental laws of the Oral Torah.

Rabbi Yehuda was raised among the greatest sages of the preceding generation. His father sent him to study with Rabbi Yaakov of Kushta, a renowned expert in all areas of halacha, known as Raba Dematnita (master of the Mishnah). He then studied with the famous sages who were his father's friends - students of Rabbi Akiva (except for Rabbi Meir) - each of whom became for him a Raba Deulpana (master of in-depth study). Throughout his life, Rabbi Yehuda regretted that he had not been able to study with Rabbi Meir, whom he held in high esteem. However, Rabbi Meir had distanced himself from the household of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, and Rabbi Yehuda had the opportunity to study only with his students.

When Rabbi Yehuda became head of the Sanhedrin, his father's colleague Rabbi Yossi ben Chalafta was still alive. This exceedingly humble and experienced sage accepted the young leader as a student accepts a teacher. Rabbi Yehuda, in turn, held the elderly sage in high regard. Rabbi Yehuda's inner circle included Rabbi Elazar (son of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai), Rabbi Yishmael (son of Rabbi Yossi ben Chalafta), Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar, and Sumchus - a brilliant student of Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya.

Hundreds of students studied at Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi's yeshiva. Some came especially for this from Babylonia. The best of his students was Rabbi Chiya. When Rabbi Chiya arrived in Eretz Yisrael together with his two sons - Yehuda and Chizkiya - they were already considered renowned sages. Some time later, Rabbi Chiya's nephew - Rav Abba bar Aivu - also came to study at Rabbi Yehuda's yeshiva. In the Talmud, Rav Abba bar Aivu is simply called Rav.

Rabbi's sons - Rabbi Gamliel and Rabbi Shimon - also became renowned sages of the Torah.

The Roman emperor Antoninus Pius was a close friend of Rabbi. He treated the sages with respect and held Jewish wisdom in high esteem.

Rabbi's friendship with the emperor had a positive effect on the situation of the Jews of that era.

Because of an illness that afflicted him for many years, Rabbi was forced to move to Tzippori, a city with a more favorable climate. For seventeen years he headed the Sanhedrin in Tzippori.

Before his passing, Rabbi gathered his sons and students and, in their presence, said: "Master of the World, it is revealed before You that all my life I labored with all ten fingers over the Torah and did not benefit even with my little finger from worldly pleasures. May it be Your will that there be peace for my rest." When word spread through Tzippori that Rabbi was close to death, all the synagogues filled with worshippers who begged the Almighty to prolong Rabbi Yehuda's life. The people did not want to believe that Rabbi's hour of death had come. Inspired by prayer, the people proclaimed: "Whoever says that Rabbi has died will be struck by the sword." When Rabbi's soul departed, his students were afraid to tell the people. Then one of them - Bar Kappara - went out into the street and, tearing his garments, said: "The angels and the righteous struggled over the Ark; the angels have overcome the righteous and taken the Ark." After these words, it became clear that Rabbi had passed away.