Pinchas Landis’ Post

20 Nissan - Rav Hai Gaon - 1038 On this day in 1038, Rav Hai Gaon passed away, ending the time period of the great Babylonian Gaonate.  The Gaon was the religious leader of the Babylonian Jewish community.  The position was recognized by the local Caliph and was achieved by being the head of one of the two major Babylonian yeshivas, Sura and Pumbadisa. Babylon was the central address of the Jewish world for nearly 800 years.  At this point in time, the mantle of leadership would split in two with what would become known as the Sefardic Community in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa and what would become known as the Ashkenazi community in France and Germany. R’ Hai was considered one of the greatest to hold this position.  Living for 99 years and serving for 40, he was a prolific writer of both Torah commentaries and poetry.  He was a leader who was revered by his disciples.  One such student, the great Rabbeinu Nissim, would take the first monumental step towards codifying the laws of the Talmud. . Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/gpcMKmdW Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: https://amzn.to/3UcYSu5. . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem

18 Nissan - Jews On The Run -1313 BCE On this day in the year 1313 BCE, the Pharaoh from the Exodus narrative received word that the Jewish People had run away.  The question is if they left 3 days before on the 15th of Nissan, and only after the Pharaoh essentially chased them out after the Slaying of the First Born, what is he being told now?  Doesn’t he know that they left 3 days prior? In all of the negotiations between Moshe and Pharaoh, Moshe never once requested for anything more than a three-day journey into the desert to be able to sacrifice to the Jewish G-d.  When Pharaoh chased the Jews out on the 15th, it was under the premise that they would return after three days.  Pharaoh had sent spies with the Jews and after three days when they showed no sign of returning, the spies reported back.  Then, Pharaoh mobilized his army to force them back. The bigger question is what is with the seeming deception of Moshe?  Moshe never told Pharaoh what the sacrifice would be.  In fact, he said ‘we do not know how we are to serve Him until we get there.’ The Almighty did not need Pharaoh to give permission for the Jews to leave, rather the Jews needed to prove that they were worthy of their freedom.  This would come through the ultimate sacrifice.  After three days, Pharaoh pursued them and they set themselves up to be captured and returned to Egypt. Through this act, they showed they were willing to sacrifice that which was most important to them, their newfound freedom.  In doing so, they earned the real freedom that would follow after the splitting of the sea. Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/gpcMKmdW Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: https://amzn.to/3UcYSu5. . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem

17 Nissan - Chernobyl Disaster - 1986 On this day in 1986, the Chernobyl disaster took place in Ukraine in the former Soviet Union. The disaster was a catastrophic nuclear accident in which Reactor No. 4 exploded. This was the result of inherent design flaws in the reactor, and operators mis-administering safety tests. It has been approximated that about four hundred times more radioactive material was released from Chernobyl than by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII. By contrast, the Chernobyl accident released about 1/100-1/1,000 of the total amount of radioactivity released during the era of nuclear weapons testing at the height of the Cold War in the 50s and 60s. The Soviet Union originally did not announce the disaster, and only after Sweden detected the radiation and threatened to raise an official alert with the International Atomic Energy Agency did the Soviets announce what had happened. The estimated cost of the disaster and the aftermath was $18 Billion. This bankrupted the USSR both financially and politically. The government’s attempted cover-up would lead to a new era of glasnost, or transparency, that would lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The fall of the Soviet Union would bring an end to centuries of Anti-Semitic government policies and would finally open the gates for Jews to immigrate out of Eastern Europe as they pleased. Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/g8rFjtM5 Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: amzn.to/2Js9r8hj . . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem  

6 Nissan - Marc Chagall - 1985 On this day in 1985 world famous artist Marc Chagall passed away. Born Moishe Shagall to a Chassidic family in Belarus, he grew up in a very pious religious town.  While he abandoned the religion and culture of his youth, the Jew inside of him came forth in so much of his work. In 1906, Chagall left his family and the traditions of his youth for France to study art where he spent most of his life. After the Nazis y”s invaded France in 1940, he was so engrossed in his art that he naively stayed put and didn’t realize what the Vichy regime was up to until they started rounding up Jews in October of that year. At that point, the only option was to flee to America where he was able to seek refuge with his wife and daughter after he was saved by the New York Museum of Modern Art. After the war, in 1948, Chagall returned to France to live out the rest of his life.  Two of his most famous Jewish works include the mural at the Knesset in Israel and the Israel Windows at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.  Chagall is considered the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century while remaining very distant from Judaism. The Jewish themes in his work show that a Jew can abandon who he is outwardly, but the Jewish spark always remains within.  Chagall was buried in Provence, France without a Jewish funeral or burial. Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/g8rFjtM5 Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: amzn.to/2Js9r8hj . . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem

4 Nissan - Kellogg-Briand Pact - 1927 On this day in 1927, a treaty was proposed by Aristide Briand, the Foreign Minister of France to outlaw war internationally.  This day marked the 10th anniversary of America entering World War I.  This proposal would lead to the Kellogg-Briand Pact which would be signed by Briand and US Secretary of State Frank Kellogg in 1928.  The signatory states promised not to use war to resolve "disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them.”  Germany was also a cosigner along with 59 other states. While the pact did not end war and did not even prevent World War II, it has provided two notable results.  First, the pact did lead to a significant decline in territorial conquests throughout the world.  Before World War II, there was on average a conquest every 10 months and over 100,000 sq/mi taken per year. Since the war, there has only been one conquest every 4 years with an average of 5,000 sq/mi taken per year. But possibly the most significant result of the pact was that it created the concept of ‘crimes against peace.’  This was the legal premise for the Nuremberg Tribunal, the Eichmann Trial, and Nazi-hunting in general.  In total, more than 200 Nazis were executed as a result of more than 20 trials. Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/gpcMKmdW Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: a.co/d/dHM6oXQ . . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem

2 Nissan - The Red Heifer - 1312 BCE On this day in 1312 BCE, Moshe prepared the first ever Red Heifer the day after the Mishkan was dedicated. The mitzvah of the Red Heifer was necessary for those who had come in contact with the dead and wanted to participate in the Mishkan and later in the Temples.  The heifer had to be completely red and had to have never been worked.  The cow was slaughtered and burnt.  Its ashes were placed in water and sprinkled on those who had come in contact with the dead.  After the process, they were good to go.  The Priest who sprinkled, however, would become impure.  This is one of the greatest paradoxes of Judaism. The qualifications for, and scrutiny of, the Red Heifer are quite intense.  This has made it so that there have only been a total of nine during both the first and second Temples.  In preparation for the building of the Third Temple, there are many out there who are on the lookout for another Red Heifer. Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/gpcMKmdW Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: a.co/d/dHM6oXQ . . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem

1 Nissan - Death of Nadav and Avihu - 1312 BCE On this day in 1312 BCE, the tragic death of Nadav and Avihu, the two sons of Aharon HaKohen, took place.  It was two weeks short of the first anniversary of the exodus from Egypt.  In the aftermath of the Golden Calf, the Jews built the Mishkan for the Almighty to have a physical dwelling place amongst the Jewish people.  The construction took the better part of the first winter in the desert. Finally, on this day, the dedication commenced. What should have been a most glorious day for Aharon, the high priest who was to officiate with his family in the Mishkan, ended in tragedy when his two sons died.  The Torah tells us this happened because, in their exuberance to work in the Mishkan, they brought an offering that was not sanctioned by the Almighty which was literally playing with fire.  Seeing as the righteous are judged with much more scrutiny than the average person, this transgression carried capital punishment. Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/gpcMKmdW Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: a.co/d/dHM6oXQ . . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem

29 Adar II - Rosh Chodesh - 1312 On this day in 1312 BCE, the Almighty gave the commandment to the Jews on how to establish and organize their calendar.  This was two weeks before the exodus.  The Jews were commanded to count the first month, Nissan, when they saw the new moon the next day.  With that, the first Jewish month began, and the Jewish calendar was in motion. One year later, the Jewish people were still at the foot of Mt. Sinai.  It took 50 days to get from the Exodus from Egypt to Revelation at Mt. Sinai.  Moshe was on the mountain for 40 days and came down to find the Golden Calf.  He smashed it and facilitated punishment for those involved. He then went on the mountain for a second 40 days to intercede on behalf of the Jewish people with the Almighty.  The Jews were given a second chance. Moshe then went up a third set of 40 days to receive the second set of tablets which he returned with on Yom Kippur. The next step was building the Mishkan.  This was almost a 6-month process. On the first day of Nissan (tomorrow) the Mishkan was finally dedicated.  It was preceded by 7 days of training and then it was ready to go.  The Mishkan was a portable temple that traveled with the Jews through the desert.  It entered the land of Israel with them and rested mainly in Shiloh with stops in Nov and Givon.  When King David conquered Jerusalem he brought the Ark from the Mishkan to Mt. Moriah as a true prelude to the temple that his son would build. Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/gpcMKmdW Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: a.co/d/dHM6oXQ . . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem

28 Adar II - Purim of Cairo - 1524 On this day in 1524, the Jews of Cairo were spared from a decree that they should all be exterminated. The day became known to Egyptian Jews as Purim of Cairo. When Suleman became the Ottoman Sultan in 1520, he appointed Ahmed Pasha to be the Viser of Cairo. Pasha felt slighted because he expected a much more prominent position in the government, and subsequently began a rebellion against Suleman. As part of his rebellion, he had his name printed instead of the Sultan on local coins. The mint was headed by a Jew Avraham de Castro who asked Pasha to put his request into writing. Castro then went to Constantinople to show the orders to the Sultan. When Pasha became aware that he had been betrayed by the Jews, he called in 12 communal leaders and told them that if they could not raise 200 talents of silver (an astronomical amount of money) by the given deadline, all the Jews of Cairo would be slaughtered. The community could only come up with 10% of the amount. Not appeased, Pasha said he would carry out his decree just after his bath. It would be a fateful bath. Pasha was accosted by some of his officials. Though he initially escaped, he was shortly captured and beheaded. The Jews of Cairo had been saved and proclaimed the day Purim of Cairo. Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/gpcMKmdW Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: a.co/d/dHM6oXQ . . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem

26 Adar II - Operation Nachshon - 1948 On this day in 1948, Operation Nachshon began.  This was the first major operation by the Haganah of what would become known as the War of Independence.  The goals of the mission were twofold.  First to break the siege on Jerusalem by opening the one road into the city.  Then, to begin Plan Dalet which intended to conquer the lands promised to the Jews through the 1947 UN Partition Plan, declare a Jewish State, and start a defense against the regular Arab Armies that would invade. The mission successfully opened the road, letting through almost 700 vehicles to the besieged Jerusalem, but the Arabs were able to barricade the road again at the mission's conclusions.  13 strategic Arab villages were taken as well.  The plan was that if the Arabs would accept Jewish rule, they could stay.  If not, they would be resettled.  The operation exposed the poor organization of the Arab paramilitary groups.  A fact that would soon be recognized as true for all Arab forces. Order the Today In Jewish History book: https://lnkd.in/g8rFjtM5 Find out more: WhatsApp: bit.ly/WhatsAddMe iTunes: apple.co/2Vxv6kq Spotify: bit.ly/TIJHspot Alexa: amzn.to/2Js9r8hj . . . . . #jew #jewish #jewishart #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #jewishfood #jewishgirl #jewishhistory #jewishholidays #jewishlife #jewishnewyear #jewishpride #jews #judaism #kosher #love #neveragain #hebrew #shabbat #holocaust #shabbatshalom #israel #jerusalem