hillula

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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)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Aramaic

Etymology

  • יוֹם) הִלּוּלָא) (yom) hillulah '(day of) festivity'

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • None

      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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