hillula
Definitions
n. The anniversary of the death of a great tzaddik; a celebration of the tzaddik's life on that day.
Example Sentences
"Public hillula celebrations take place on Lag ba-Omer, the traditional anniversary of the death of R. Simeon b. Yoḥai...and on the 14th of Iyyar, the anniversary of the death of R. Meir Ba'al ha-Nes, at their respective gravesides in Meron and Tiberias, in Galilee." (source)
Languages of Origin
- Textual Hebrew
- Aramaic
Etymology
יוֹם) הִלּוּלָא) (yom) hillulah '(day of) festivity'
- Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
- North America
- Great Britain
- South Africa
- Australia / New Zealand
- None
Who Uses This
Regions
Dictionaries
Alternative Spellings
hillulah, hiloula, hilloula, hiloulah, hilloulah
Notes
Also yom hillula.
"A Yom Hillula...is another word for yahrzeit (the anniversary of a death). However, it differs from a regular yahrzeit in two respects. It refers specifically to the yahrzeit of a great Tzaddik who taught Kabbalah and/or Chassidus, and unlike a regular yahrzeit, which is marked with sadness and even fasting, a Yom Hillula is commemorated specifically through simcha...and festive celebration. This term is most often used in Hasidic circles to refer to the day of the death of Hasidic Rebbes" (source).
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