This Day In History 16 Shevat/February 1

In 5180/1420, Purim of Saragossa was established because of a miracle in the Jewish community of Saragossa, Spain.

Yahrtzeiten

5498/1738, Harav Moshe, Rav of Kitov, zt”l, a talmid of the Baal Shem Tov

5616/1856, Harav Yechezkel, Rebbe of Kuzmir, zt”l

5628/1868, Harav Chaim Palagi, zt”l

5760/2000, Harav Avraham Shlomo Biderman, Rebbe of Lelov-Yerushalayim, Zy”a

Harav Avraham Shlomo Biderman was the bechor of Harav Moshe Mordechai, zy”a, the Lelover Rebbe. He was born on Rosh Chodesh Adar 5687/1927 in Cracow, Poland, a leading center of Torah and Chassidus. The sandak at his bris was Harav Yeshayah of Tchechov, zy”a, the youngest son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, zy”a.

When he was yet a baby his father decided to go to Eretz Yisrael, where the family settled in Meah She’arim’s Batei Warsaw. He learned at the Chayei Olam Talmud Torah and later at Yeshivas Torah v’Yirah.

When Rav Avraham was 16 the family moved to Tel Aviv and he went to learn in Bnei Brak at the Beis Yosef-Novardok Yeshivah. He developed close ties with the Mashgiach, Harav Mattisyahu Shetzigel, zt”l, and with the Rosh Yeshivah, the Steipler Gaon, zt”l, with whom he learned Yoreh De’ah each Friday.

He was especially close to his father, whom he served with dedication. He was his father’s confidant and dealt with many matters on his behalf, both of private concern and of importance to the chareidi public as a whole. He was especially involved in helping people far from Torah make their way to living a Torah life, and was his father’s messenger to outlying villages where he opened successful Torah learning centers.

After his marriage to the daughter of Harav Zundel Hager, zt”l, Rav Avraham was appointed Rosh Yeshivah of Yerushalayim’s Lelover Yeshivah. In 5725/1965, when his father moved from Tel Aviv to Bnei Brak, he became Rav of the beis medrash in Tel Aviv. Then, after his father’s petirah in 5784/1984, he succeeded as Lelover Rebbe, guiding his chassidim from the Lelover beis medrash in Yerushalayim.

He organized activities for Jews from the former Soviet Union and even visited the CIS to help residents there with their Yiddishkeit. His help to people was not confined to spiritual matters; he regularly and quietly helped needy families.

The Rebbe was hospitalized several times towards the end of his life. He was niftar on Motzoei Shabbos, the night of 16 Shevat 5760/2000.

After a large levayah, the procession made its way to Har Hazeisim, where he was laid to rest next to the kever of his father in the chelkah of the Lelover Rebbes.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Feb. 1

In 1790, the U.S. Supreme Court convened for the first time in New York. However, since only three of the six justices were present, the court recessed until the next day.

In 1842, in New York City, the “City Despatch Post” began operations. It was a private company that was the first to introduce adhesive postage stamps in the western hemisphere. The company was bought by the U.S. government a few months later and renamed “United States City Despatch Post.”

In 1900, Eastman Kodak Co. introduced the $1 Brownie box camera.

In 1946, Norwegian statesman Trygve Lie was chosen to be the first secretary-general of the United Nations.