17 Nisan
Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe (1916-2005), the beloved master of ethical (Mussar) teachings in Jerusalem. Rabbi Wolbe was educated in Germany and Switzerland, later spending several years in Mir, where he became a close disciple of Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz and Rabbi Chatzkal Levenstein. Rabbi Wolbe is best known for his discourses on Jewish ethics, published in a two-volume work, Alei Shur. Rabbi Wolbe stressed the importance of self-scrutiny and self-knowledge as a way to achieve one's maximum potential. He also stressed the attribute of self-control -- thinking before speaking, eating in moderation, and concentrating for long periods without distraction.
