A confluence of dates

[rosends]

A few years ago, people made a big deal about Channukah's being on Thanksgiving (or possibly, it was the other way around...who knows?)

I find this year's overlap to be more fascinating.

Today is the 9th of Av which, according to certain understandings is the Yahrzeit of Ezra the scribe. That's interesting but not interesting interesting. Another tradition has it that today is the anniversary of the death of Shimon Hakalphus who is connected to the personage of Simon Hapoter, who is connected, via a series of midrashim, to Simon Peter.

Here is some background reading (and listening)
YUTorah Online - Jewish Perspectives on Early Christianity - Nittel, the Ninth of Teves and Pope Simon Peter (Dr. Shnayer Leiman)

http://www.leimanlibrary.com/texts_of_publications/36. The Scroll of Fasts The Ninth of Tebeth.pdf

This then leads into tonight which is Nittel Nacht Nittel Nacht - Wikipedia and then tomorrow is the 10th of Tevet (and this year, that means an unusual fast on a Friday).

Just some stuff that amuses me on a Thursday morning.

 

[Harel13]

I was just thinking about this this morning - except I forgot about the Nittel Nacht part. My thread on Simon Peter was first I made here on RF, a little over a year ago. 9th Tevet is also, if I remember correctly, the yartzheit of Rabbi Yosef Hanagid, who was murdered in I believe 9th or 10th century Spain.

 

[rosends]

I was just thinking about this this morning - except I forgot about the Nittel Nacht part. My thread on Simon Peter was first I made here on RF, a little over a year ago. 9th Tevet is also, if I remember correctly, the yartzheit of Rabbi Yosef Hanagid, who was murdered in I believe 9th or 10th century Spain.

Yes, the meforshim say that the date was set as a fast in ruach hakodesh for R. Yosef Hanagid (I happen to have this open on Bar Ilan):

פסקי תשובות הערות סימן תקפ
בברכ"י שם מביא בשם ספר הקבלה להראב"ד שכיוונו רבותינו ברוה"ק להריגת רבינו יוסף הלוי הנגיד

 

[rosends]

on a separate but related note, Nittel Nacht has me thinking --

Every year, we make the joke about Greek Orthodox Nittel Nacht being in a week and a half, and we point out that this is an Ashkenazic-historical remnant. I wonder more and more, each year, why this vestige became normative among certain communities; it was a response to a threat. The threat is gone so why hold on to a tradition when it flies in the face of an obligation (to learn)?

And now that one CAN learn without leaving the house shouldn't it totally fall apart as a practice? Or will gedolim simply play chess via Zoom?

 

[Harel13]

Every year, we make the joke about Greek Orthodox Nittel Nacht being in a week and a half

Never heard this...

The threat is gone so why hold on to a tradition when it flies in the face of an obligation (to learn)?

Well, actually, I'm not sure who really is aware of this tradition in Israel. I first heard of this a couple of years ago. My family's certainly never talked about it.

And now that one CAN learn without leaving the house shouldn't it totally fall apart as a practice?

Yup.

Or will gedolim simply play chess via Zoom?

I'd like to see that, either way.