September 6 1879 – Tishrei 1 5640
Bible commentator Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser, better known as Malbim, passed away in Kiev after an impossibly difficult rabbinical career. Championing strict observance of Jewish law despite the rise of the Enlightenment, Malbim was driven from a number of the eastern European Jewish communities he served. Some claim his enemies were incensed more by his support for the poorer members of the community than by his conservative attitude to secular education, and intentionally exaggerated his opposition to a broad curriculum of study to embroil the rabbi with the authorities. Yet his masterful commentary has outlived his opponents, using his grammatical and linguistic skills to plumb the depths of the biblical text.