What are you doing for Kobe's yahrtzeit tomorrow?

[shabbosabba]

I remember last year when Kobe Bryant died. Many people had off that weekend and were traveling. Everyone has a moment where they were at the time when they heard the news. I remember I was in the airport, and I saw the headline on the TV. I don't normally follow the news so I probably wouldn't have otherwise known. But, I saw it and I was a little shocked. I never even knew who Kobe was. But it was still  shocking for some reason.  Tomorrow is January 26th, the day that he died last year. It's amazing to think that so much has happened since then. And even more crazy to think about how many real deaths there were this year. What are you doing to remember him on the anniversary of his death? Or maybe @Shkop would like to forget him.

[grodnoking]

Rav Mordechai Banet of Nikolsburg, Hungary, author of Parashas Mordechai (1753-1829)

Rav Nosson Nota Shapira, author of Megaleh Amukos and Ranav Ofanim (1585-1633). Eliyahu HaNavi is said to have visited with him regularly.
Son of Rav Shlomo Shapira, and grandson of Rav Matisyahu ben Yosef Treves of Provence (1325-1382) who was appointed Chief Rabbi of Paris by Charles the Fifth. The Shapiro family comes from the German town of Speyer from where the founder of the family escaped at the time of the First Crusade in 1096.

Rav Hillel of Paritsh (1795-1864). A chassid of Rav Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the Tzemach Tsedek, he served as the Rav of Bobruisk for many years, and authored Pelach HaRimon, a work of deep chassidic thought. (Yated 2007 says 11 Av)

Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, Menahel of Ezras Torah (1881-1973). Born in the Mohilev province of Russia, he studied at the Mir Yeshiva at the age of 15. Soon after, he became the youngest student in the yeshiva of Slutsk headed by R' Isser Zalman Meltzer. In 1923, R' Henkin was on the verge of being deported to a Soviet labor camp when he escaped to the United States. After being detained on Ellis Island for five weeks, he obtained a rabbinic position on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Shortly thereafter, R' Henkin published his important work on the laws of marriage and divorce entitled Perushei Ivra. In 1925, he was appointed Executive Director of the charitable organization Ezras Torah. He would remain in this position for 48 years. The halachic rulings in the Ezras Torah calendar are R' Henkin's, based on his work, Edut Le'Yisrael.

Rav Yosef Greenwald of Pupa (1984), author of Vayechi Yosef. Son of Rav Yaakov Yechezkel Greenwald, the previous Pupa Rebbe, author of Vayaged Yaakov, and grandson of Rav Moshe Greenwald of Chust, author of Arugas HaBosem.

[SSLPhD]

That was one year ago? I could've sworn it was 3 or 4.

[AsherO]

Rav Mordechai Banet of Nikolsburg, Hungary, author of Parashas Mordechai (1753-1829)

Rav Nosson Nota Shapira, author of Megaleh Amukos and Ranav Ofanim (1585-1633). Eliyahu HaNavi is said to have visited with him regularly.
Son of Rav Shlomo Shapira, and grandson of Rav Matisyahu ben Yosef Treves of Provence (1325-1382) who was appointed Chief Rabbi of Paris by Charles the Fifth. The Shapiro family comes from the German town of Speyer from where the founder of the family escaped at the time of the First Crusade in 1096.

Rav Hillel of Paritsh (1795-1864). A chassid of Rav Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the Tzemach Tsedek, he served as the Rav of Bobruisk for many years, and authored Pelach HaRimon, a work of deep chassidic thought. (Yated 2007 says 11 Av)

Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, Menahel of Ezras Torah (1881-1973). Born in the Mohilev province of Russia, he studied at the Mir Yeshiva at the age of 15. Soon after, he became the youngest student in the yeshiva of Slutsk headed by R' Isser Zalman Meltzer. In 1923, R' Henkin was on the verge of being deported to a Soviet labor camp when he escaped to the United States. After being detained on Ellis Island for five weeks, he obtained a rabbinic position on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Shortly thereafter, R' Henkin published his important work on the laws of marriage and divorce entitled Perushei Ivra. In 1925, he was appointed Executive Director of the charitable organization Ezras Torah. He would remain in this position for 48 years. The halachic rulings in the Ezras Torah calendar are R' Henkin's, based on his work, Edut Le'Yisrael.

Rav Yosef Greenwald of Pupa (1984), author of Vayechi Yosef. Son of Rav Yaakov Yechezkel Greenwald, the previous Pupa Rebbe, author of Vayaged Yaakov, and grandson of Rav Moshe Greenwald of Chust, author of Arugas HaBosem.

I remember like yesterday my 9th grade Rebbi from Yeshiva Ketana telling us that the tanaaim and amoraim are our “baseball players”, they’re the ones we should idolize.

Having said that, Kobe and his daughter died in sudden and tragic circumstances. It was the same time of year as the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Those two things, coupled with some other conversations I had with people about “life, death, and meaning” were a paradigm shift for me to foster deeper acceptance of the fact that we don’t have the answers to death and tragedy. Thanks OP for reminding me.