Almanac of Important Jewish and Biblical Dates

Month Hebrew Name Astrological Sign
Tishrei Moznayim Libra
Cheshvan Akrav Scorpio
Kislev Keshet Sagittarius
Teves G'di Capricorn
Shevat D'li Aquarius
Adar (on leap years there is a double month of Adar) Dagim Pisces
Nissan Taleh Aries
Iyar Shor Taurus
Sivan Teomim Gemini
Tammuz Sartan Cancer
Av Aryeh Leo
Elul Betulah Virgo

Sivan

(Hebrew name: Teomim, Astrological sign: Gemini)

1

45th day of the Omer

Children of Israel arrived and encamped at Mount Sinai (Shemos 19:1); the waters of the Flood began to recede (B’reishis 7:3); prophecy to Ezekiel regarding Pharoah (Yechez’kel 31:1); death of Korah by the hand of G-d (B’midbar 16:32)

2

46th day of the Omer

Moses’ first ascent of Mt. Sinai before the giving of the Torah; Yahrzeit of Rabbi Eazar Shapira of Monkatch, author of the Minchas Elazar; Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yisro’el Hagar of Viznitz, author of the Ahavas Yisro’el

3

47th day of the Omer

Moses’ second ascent of Mt. Sinai

Mainz Massacre (4856/1096) by Crusaders

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetovka

4 48th day of the Omer
5

49th day of the Omer

Reuben found the Mandrakes

6

Shovu'os First Day (the Festival of Weeks, and is derived from the fact that it is observed seven weeks after bringing the Omer offering on the Second Day of Pesach, therefore Shovu'os is always on the same day of the week as the second day of Pesach - this was one of the three festivals during which every Israelite made a pilgrimage to the House of G-d in Jerusalem).

Baby Moses was put in the Nile

Giving of the torah

Birth and death of King David.

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Avrohom Mordechai Alter of Gur, author of the Imre Emes (5708/1948)

7

Shovu'os Second Day (outside of Israel)

Moses built an alter at Sinai (Shemos 24:4); Uriah the Hittite divorced his wife; the prophet Hosea, the son of Beeri, died

Death of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the Ba’al Shem Tov (Besht, 5460-5520/1700-1760)

Yahrzeit of Avraham ben Avraham

8 Sacking and destruction of Sfat by the Druze (5604/1844)
9

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yisro’el of Shkolov, author of the Pe’as Hashulchon (5598/1838)

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Ya’akov Chaim Sofer, author of the Kaf Hachayim (5698/1938)

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Ya’akov Meir, Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rishon Le-Tzi’yon (5698/1938)

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac of Zeditchov

10

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yishmo’el HaCohen, author of the Zera Emes

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Elazer Rokach, Baal Maase Rokach, a descendant of the House of King David, an extremely learned and holy person, whose merits protected the masses in his proximity, his tefila (prayers) were heard and answered on High on behalf of community and individual, Chief of the Rabbinical Court of Amsterdam, author of the Ma’aseh Rokach (??/1742)

11Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shmu’el Rosendberg of Unzdorf, author of the Be’er Shmu’el; Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yitzchak Ya’akov Weis, Chief of the Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem, author of the Minchas Yitzchok (5741/1981)
13Yahrzeit of Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchoki, author of the Zera Avrohom; Yahrzeit of Rabbi Ephraim of Vilna, author of the Sha’ar Ephraim
14 Yahrzeit of Rabbi Chaim of Volazin, a student of the Gaon of Vilna and author of the Nefesh Hacha’yim (5581/1821)
15 Yehuda son of Yaakov born; exile of the residents of Beth-Shean by the Hasmonians
17

Noah’s Ark alighted on Mt. Ararat

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Aharon of Karlin II

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Leib Shapiro, author of the Taba’os Hachoshen (5732/1972)

18 Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yisachar Dov Ber of Radshitz
19

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yehudah ibn Atar, author of the Minchas Yehudah

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yisachar Dov Ber of Radshitz

20Start of Gezeros tach ve-tat (5408-9/1648-9), the massacre of Polish Jewry: 100,000 killed, 300 communities destroyed
21Yahrzeit of Rabbi Dovid Menachem Badad, author of the Responsa Chavatzeles Hasharon
22 The thirty days of eating quail in the desert ended; Yahrzeit of Rabbi Eliyo’hu Bechor Chazan, author of the Ta’alumos Lev; Yahrzeit of Rabbi Itamar Rosenbaum, the Admo”r of nadvorna (5733/1973)
23 Leprosy of Miriam sister of Moshe and Aaron (B’midbar 12:10); Mordechai wrote his missives to the Jews (Esther 8:9); Jeroboam annulled the bringing of first fruits to Jerusalem
24Yahrzeit of Rabbi Mas’od HaKohen Alchadad, author of the Simchas Kohen (5687/1927)
25 The publican tax collection system was abolished in Judea and Jerusalem; deaths of Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel, R. Yishma’el ben Elisha, and R. Chanina Segan HaKohanim
26

Death of the Tanna, Yonatan ben Uzi’el

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Refo’el Yosef ben Robi, author of the Derech Hamelech on the Yad Hachazakah of the Rambam

27

First forty days of the Flood ended

Execution and murder of Rabbi Chanina ben Tradion. Rabbi Chanina was a 1st and 2nd century Tana (3rd generation) in lower Galilee, Rosh Yeshivah and head of Beit Din of Sichnin, father of Beruriah (wife of Rebbe Meir Baal HaNess), and a collegue of Rabbi Chalafta. He, as one of the Ten Martyrs, was sentenced to death by the Romans for publicly teaching Torah and was burned at the stake with the Torah scroll that he was teaching from. The executioner saw the incredible holiness of Rabbi Chanina Ben Tradion and jumped into the fire with him.

28Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yisro’el Ze’ev Gutsman, Dean of the Yeshiva Netz’ach Yisro’el (5751/1991)
29 The Spies were sent by Moses to Eretz Yisro’el (B’midbar 13)
30

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shlomo Kluger, author of the Ho’elef Lecho Shlomo; Yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Nadjara, student of the Arizal