NOVEMBER 28/KISLEV 15

3981 (220 CE):

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (the "Prince"), leader of the Jewish people during the period following the destruction of the Second Temple, known for his wealth and humility. With persecutions and exile threatening to break down the chain of transmission, Rabbi Yehuda decided to gather, record, edit, and organize the statements of the earlier sages, setting the Oral Law down in writing for the first time, in the form of the Mishnah.

"I learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, but most of all I learned from my students."

Cave of Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi (Creative Commons)