Rav Chaim ben Atar, the Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh, (1696-1743). Born into a well-respected family in Sali, Morocco, Rav Chaim spent his early years learning with his grandfather, whose name he shared. Rav Chaim’s dream was to go to Israel. With 30 followers he arrived in Israel, four days before Rosh HaShanah in 1742 and settled in Acco. Rav Chaim and his students spent Yom Kippur in the cave of Eliyahu HaNavi on Mount Carmel. Purim was spent in Tzfat and Miron, where a great deal of time was spent studying the holy Zohar. On the 15th of Elul of 1743, Rav Chaim finally arrived in Jerusalem with his group. He immediately established a yeshiva called Knesses Yisrael and second secretive yeshiva for the study of Kabbalah.

Rav Moshe Rivkash (Rivka’s), author of Be’er Hagolah on Shulchan Aruch (1684). He was one of four great tzadikim of Vilna who lived at the tragic time of the massacres at the hands of the Cossacks in 1655,  along with Rav Ephraim (the Shaar Ephraim), Rav Shabbsai Cohen (the Shach), and Rav Shmuel Koidenaver. Approximately 25,000 Jews were killed in and around Vilna.

Rabbeinu Yaakov ben Asher, the Baal Haturim (1268-1340), son of the Rosh. When his father fled Germany with his entire family to Spain in 1803, Rav Yaakov first lived with his brother Rav Yechiel, in Barcelona, then moved to Toledo, where his father was Rav. His younger brother, Rav Yehuda, who would marry Rav Yaakov’s daughter, succeeded the Rosh as Rav of Toledo, while Rav Yaakov himself preferred to take a position on the Beis Din. His monumental halchic work, the Arba’ah Turim included virtually all opinions available to Rav Yaakov, as well as a wealth of customs.

Rav Yitzchak Chiyus (1616). Rav in Prossnitz (Prostejov) and Prague. Author of Pnei Yitzchak (which sets Yoreh Deah to rhyme), Siach Yitzchak (which sets Hilchos Pesach to rhyme), and Pachad Yitzchak, a commentary on the passage in Tractate Gittin which deals with the destruction of the Temple, as well as Api Rav’reve.

Rav Zalman Sorotzkin, the Lutzker Rav and author of Oznaim L’Torah (1881-1966). Learned at Volozhin and Slabodka; married the daughter of Rav Eliezer Gordon, Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe, and moved to Telshe to help run the yeshiva. Rav of Voronova at age 30 for 2 years, befriending Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, then served as Rav of Zhetel for 18 years. In 1914, he fled to Minsk and became a close friend of the Chazon Ish. Moved to Lutsk in 1930 as Rav, until WW II. Moved to Eretz Yisrael during the War. Led by Rav Aaron Kotler and the members of the Israeli Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Chinuch Atzmai was formed in 1953. Rav Zalman Sorotzkin was chosen to head it.

Rav Meir Horowitz of Dzikov (Tarnobrzeg), author of Imrei Noam, grandson of Rav Naftali, the Ropshitzer Rov. One of his sons, R’  Tuvia Horowitz, was Rav of Majdan. Another son, Ravi Aharon Horowitz, married Fradel, a daughter of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz in 1878. (1819-1877)
Rav Chaim Mashash, author of the Nishmas Chaim
Rav Eliyahu Mani of Chevron (1899). An associate of the Ben Ish Hai in Baghdad, Rav Eliyahu moved to Eretz Yisrael and became the Head Rabbi of the jewish community in Chevron.
Today in History – 8 Tammuz
· Jews expelled from Genoa, 1567.
· Pogrom in Bialystok, 1903.
· The United States declared war against Britain, 1812

Rav Pinchas Halevi Horowitz of Nikelsburg (1730-1805), Rav of Frankfurt, the Baal Hafla’ah. His father was the Rav of Tchortkov. His brother, Reb Shmuel Shmelke, became a talmid of the maggid of Mezeritch; in Chasidic circles, Rav Pinchas Halevi is also said to be a talmid of the magid, but this has been argued and is likely not true. As a youth, the Chasam Sofer learned with Rav Pinchas Halevi, whom he considered his rebbe muvhak. His son, Rav Tzvi Hirsch, followed him as Rav of Frankfurt. Toward the end of his life, the enlightenment and reform movements began their entries into Frankfurt. In 1805, a Reform school was established there, despite the firm opposition of its rabbanim.

Rav Yisrael Yaakov Algazi, grandson of Rav Shlomo Algazi, author of Yavin Shemua. He served the Sephardic community of Yerushalayim, replacing the batei Kehuna and led the Beit El Yeshiva. His sefarim included Ar’a Derabanan, Emes LeYaakov, Neos Yaakov, and Sheiris Yaakov (1680-1756)
Rav Chaim De la Rosa, mekubal and author of Toras Chacham (1786)
Rav Shmuel ben Dovid Madjar, Av Beis Din in Yerushalayim (1848).

Rav Ezriel Meir of Lublin (1873-1941). Born to Rav Avraham Eiger of Lublin, a descendent of Rav Akiva Eiger. He reluctantly took the reigns of the Lublin Chassidim after his father’s petria in 1914. In 1913, Rav Ezriel Meir and his brother founded Yeshivas Ahavas Torah in Lublin, moving it to Warsaw a few years after WW I. Warsaw had the largest Chassidic community in the world at that time. Jews had first settled there during the 14th century, after the reign of King Kasimierz, and was then inundated by the Chassidic movement at the end of the 18th century. By 1939, Warsaw had a population of about 393,950 Jews, which was approximately one-third of the city’s total population.
Today in History – 5 Tammuz

Rav Yaakov ben Meir (Rabbeinu Tam). The most famous of Rav Meir ben Shmuel’s sons, one of Rashi’s grandsons. He studied under his father and his older brother, Shmuel (the Rashbam), who was 15 years his senior. His other older brother Yitzchak (Rivam) was 10 years older than Rav Yaakov. Born in Ramerupt, Reb Yaakov was only 5 (or 9, according to others) when Rashi was niftar, and thus was not zocheh to learn with him. He succeeded his father as Rosh Yeshiva in the Ramerupt. He was quite wealthy as a wine merchant and financier. On the 2nd day of Shavuos of 1146, Crusaders entered and pillaged the city of Ramerupt, taking all of his possessions and inflicting five knife wounds in his head. He was saved by a nobleman, who promised the mob that he would convert the rabbi.