The 18th of Elul is the date on which:
1. Shimon HaTarsi (last surviving son of Matityahu Ḥashmonai) finally won Judean independence from Seleucid-Greek rule following a brutal guerrilla war spanning nearly three decades
2. Passing of the Maharal of Prague
3. Birth of the Baal Shem Tov
4. Revelation of Ḥasidut (on the Baal Shem Tov’s 36th birthday)
5. Birth of the Baal HaTanya
A Holiday They Never Taught You
The date of an ancient festival marking full Judean independence from Seleucid-Greek rule shares a deep connection to Israel's hidden Torah.
