This Day In History 2 Shevat/January 18

In 3688/73 B.C.E., Yannai Hamelech died. This date was celebrated as a Yom Tov, as mentioned in Megillas Taanis, because of his cruelty and the ruthlessness with which he persecuted the Chachamim and their loyal followers. On his deathbed he ordered the imprisonment of 70 Chachamim, with instructions that upon his death they too should be killed. His plan never materialized because his pious wife refused to execute his will. After his passing, his wife, Shlomtziyon Hamalkah, ruled. A sister of Rabi Shimon Ben Shetach, she restored the honor of the Chachamim and fought the Tzedokim.

Yahrtzeiten

5560/1800, Harav Meshulam Zusha, Rebbe of Anipoli, zt”l

5667/1907, Harav Simcha Bunim, Rebbe of Otvotzk, zt”l

5670/1910, Harav Tzvi Hersh Rabinowitz, zt”l

5758/1998, Harav Mansour BenShimon, zt”l, mechaber of Shemen Hamaor

5421/1661, Harav Menachem Mendel Krochmahl of Nikolsburg, Zt”l, the Tzemach Tzedek

Harav Menachem Mendel Krochmahl was born in Cracow about 5360/1600. His father was Harav Avraham. He was named after his mother’s father, Harav Menachem Mendel Shmelkes, the parnass of Pshemishel.

In the yeshivah in Cracow of Harav Yoel Sirkis (the Bach), zt”l, his Rebbi muvhak, Rav Menachem Mendel forged a close connection with Harav Dovid Halevi, zt”l, the Taz.

As a young avreich, Rav Menachem Mendel was appointed Dayan on the beis din of Cracow, and was also chosen to sit in on meetings of the Vaad Arba Aratzos. His Rebbi the Bach allowed him to open his own yeshivah in Cracow, which attracted many outstanding talmidim.

Due to uprisings of the Cossacks in Poland, Rav Menachem Mendel left Cracow; in 5396/1636, he settled in Moravia, where he became Rav in Krezmir.

From Krezmir, Rav Menachem Mendel was asked by the kehillah of Prosnitz to serve as their Rav. But due to the constant wars he moved on again, this time to Nikolsburg.

In 5408/1648, Rav Menachem Mendel was Rav of Nikolsburg and its environs. He enforced the takanos enacted some 90 years earlier by the Maharal, and passed some new ones for the spiritual enhancement of the kehillah. These were known as the “Yud Alef Takanos” (11 rulings).

Rav Menachem Mendel was one of the leading poskim in his era, and many she’eilos were addressed to him from across the Jewish world. These she’eilos and his teshuvos were compiled as Tzemach Tzedek, a sefer upon which many poskim base their rulings. Rav Menachem Mendel writes in his hakdamah to the sefer that he thought of publishing his chiddushim on Shas, but felt that halachah took precedence, and therefore he went to print first with his halachic rulings.

There is also a sefer on the Torah, Pi Tzaddik, which is credited to Rav Menachem Mendel, but research has ascertained that it was actually his son, Harav Aryeh Yehudah Leib, zt”l, who wrote it.

Rav Menachem Mendel was niftar on 2 Shevat 5421/1661.

He was survived by an only son, Harav Aryeh Yehudah Leib, who compiled his father’s sefarim. He also served as Rav in Trebitch, and later Dayan in Nikolsburg.

His sons-in-law were Harav Gershon Ashkenazi, zt”l, Rav in Prostwitz, who after Rav Menachem Mendel’s petirah replaced him as Rav of Nikolsburg; Harav Dovid, zt”l, son of Harav Yisrael Isserel, Rav in Giduong, Brody and in Trebitch for over 40 years; and Harav Aharon Yaakov, zt”l, son of Harav Yechezkel, who succeeded his father-in-law and brother-in-law as Rav of Nikolsburg after their passing.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.

Jan. 18

In 1778, English navigator Captain James Cook reached the present-day Hawaiian Islands, which he named the “Sandwich Islands.”

In 1911, the first landing of an aircraft on a ship took place as pilot Eugene B. Ely brought his Curtiss biplane in for a safe landing on the deck of the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Harbor.

In 1919, the Paris Peace Conference, held to negotiate peace treaties ending the First World War, opened in Versailles, France.

In 1943, during World War II, Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto launched their initial armed resistance against Nazi troops, who eventually succeeded in crushing the rebellion.