Biographies of the Tzaddikim
Rav Moshe Zev Margalios (Yavetz) Reb Velvele Bialystoker (Teves 4, 5590 / 1829 - 195th Yahrzeit)
Rav Moshe Zev of Bialystok, mechaber of Maros HaTzovos and Agudas Eizov, was the founder of Gemilas Chassodim Bais Medrash, Bialystok’s most prominent Torah center, where Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk learned after his marriage. [NOTE: Rav Zev Nachum of Bendin, the father of Rav Avrohom Borenstein of Sochatchov, also authored a sefer called Agudas Eizov].
Rav Yehoshua Yitzchok Shapira Rav Eizel Charif (Teves 4, 5633 / 1873 - 152nd Yahrzeit)
Rav Yehoshua Eizel Charif of Slonim was born in Glovanka, near Minsk. After many years of learning with the enthusiastic support of his father-in-law, Rav Yitzchok Fein, he became Rav of Kalavaria, then Kutno, and finally Slonim (near Grodno). He was mechaber many seforim, including Emek Yehoshua, Nachlas Yehoshua, Noam Yerushalmi, Sefas HaNachal and Atzas Yehoshua.
Rav Gershon Chanoch Henoch Leiner Radziner Rebbe, Orchos Chayim, Ba’al HaTecheiles (Teves 4, 5651 / 1890 - 134th Yahrzeit)
Rav Gershon Chanoch Henoch Leiner of Radzin was known as the Ba’al HaTecheiles. His grandfather was Rav Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Ishbitz, founder of Ishbitz Chassidus, after leading a group of talmidim from the court of Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. He replaced his father as Rebbe of Ishbitz after the former’s petira in 1878. Rav Gershon Henoch traveled from Radzin to Italy in search of the chilozon, the marine source from which the dye was obtained. The chilozon carried the dye in a special sac located in its pharynx. In the famed aquarium at Naples he saw the chilozon and studied the way in which the dye was removed and prepared. He discovered that it was used by artists in their paintings because it would never fade.
Rav Shlomo Molcho HaKadosh (Teves 5, 5293 / 1532 - 492nd Yahrzeit)
5 Teves HaKadosh – the Martyr Rav Shlomo Molcho H”YD
Born around 1501 Lisbon, Portugal - 13 December 1532 Mantua, Italy
Other variant spellings: Malcho, Shelomo Molkho
Shlomo Molcho was born as Diogo Pires in 1501 to a family of marranos in Lisbon, Portugal. A child prodigy he mastered several different languages and secured himself a prestigious position for a young 22 year old as the royal scribe at the court of the Porteguse monarch King Emanuel the 1st.
When the adventurer Dovid Reuveni arrived in Portugal in 1523, Shlomo Malcho experienced dream visions commanding him to undergo bris milah. He asked Dovid Reuvani to help draw him closer to Yiddishkeit, when the latter, fearing Christian persecutions refused, Shlomo Malcho circumcised himself. After performing the bris he almost bled to death. Astoundingly he awoke from his circumcision with a vast knowledge of Hebrew and Torah.
After the bris, Diogo Pires changed his name to Shlomo Molcho and left Portugal for Salonika. There, he joined the Yeshiva of Rabbi Yosef Ṭaiṭazaḳ, where he began the study of Kabbalah. During his travels he met and influenced Rav Shlomo Alkabetz and RavYosef Karo, Rav Karo would afterwards write in Maggid Mesharim of his jealousy of Rav Shlomo's martyrdom.
Wherever Rav Shlomo Molcho went he gave passionate derashos urging and awakening the need for heartfelt davening, fasting, teshuva and tikkunim to help bring about the geulah – the final redemption.
Many Christians and even some priests also attended these derahsos, alongside the Jews. His charisma and his impassioned pleas stirred them as well and would be a thorn in the Church's side.
Rav Shlomo Molcho began predicting of the imminent upcoming fall of Rome and Christendom, and the revival of the kingdom of Judea. He announced that Moshiach would arrive by the year 1540. In his travels. Rav Shlomo Malcho reached Eretz Yisroel and preached at the gates of Yerushalayim and Tzfas.
In Rome, Rav Shlomo 's dream visions continued. He was commanded to live among the paupers on the bridge over the Tiber and prophesied predicting the October 8th, 1530 flood in Rome (A plaque commemorating this event remains til this day on the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva saying “In the year of the Lord 1530, on October 8th, in the seventh year of the holiest lord Pope Clement VII, the Tiber rose to this point, and all Rome would have been overwhelmed.”
http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/waters/floods/1530_flood.jpg ) and about the January 26th, 1531 earthquake in Portugal, both predictions came true.
Historical sources tell us that the 1531 Lisbon earthquake occurred in the Kingdom of...
