This Day In History 28 Teves/January 15

Yahrtzeiten

5618/1858, Harav Avraham Entebi, zt”l, Rav of Aram Tzova, (Aleppo) Syria, and mechaber of Yoshev Ohalim

5688/1928, Harav Gedalya Shmelkes of Pshemishel, zt”l

5716/1956, Harav Yerachmiel Eliyahu Botchko, Rosh Yeshivah, Yeshivas Montreux, Switzerland, zt”l

5741/1981, Harav Yissachar Dov Ber Rosenbaum, the Strozhnitzer Rebbe, zy”a


5768/2008, Harav Shmuel Berenbaum, Zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Mir, Brooklyn

Harav Shmuel Berenbaum was born in Kineshin, Poland, in Adar 5680/1920, and learned in Yeshivas Ohel Torah, the Baranovich yeshivah, under Harav Elchanan Wasserman, Hy”d.

Already as a young talmid, Harav Shmuel was famed as an extraordinary masmid, and this hasmadah continued into his last years. It was known among the talmidim that it was impossible to talk any sichas chullin with Harav Shmuel during the sedarim, no matter how important the matter might be.

After studying in Ohel Torah, he moved to the Mirrer Yeshivah in Mir, Lithuania, and during the Holocaust, he escaped together with the Mir Yeshivah to Shanghai.

Following the end of the war, the majority of the Jewish refugees from Shanghai left for Eretz Yisrael and the United States. Among them were the talmidim from the Mirrer Yeshivah, which was re-established in Flatbush, New York, by Harav Avraham Kalmanowitz, zt”l.

Harav Shmuel married the daughter of Harav Kalmanowitz, and was asked to give shiurim in the American yeshivah. He delivered long shiurim that were based on the Brisker derech halimud.

Yissurim that he suffered throughout his life had minimal effect on his learning. This included tragically losing two children during his lifetime, one who was killed as a bachur in Eretz Yisrael many years ago, and the other, Harav Leibel, zt”l, who was niftar after an illness.

Harav Shmuel was also active in klal activities, especially in raising money for tzedakah. He established a tzedakah fund for bnei Torah in Eretz Yisrael, personally distributing tzedakah to thousands of them before every Yom Tov.

Harav Shmuel lived his life in the yeshivah, and spent most hours of the day and night there, learning.

As a Rosh Yeshivah, Harav Berenbaum was very devoted to his talmidim and kept a connection with them even after they left yeshivah.

He would deliver shiurim on Shabbos in Halachah and Minchas Chinuch for those talmidim who had already left yeshivah.

His mussar shmuessen were based on the importance of Torah study, as well as tikkun hamiddos and chessed.

Harav Shmuel was niftar on 28 Teves 5768/2008, just short of age 88. He was buried in the Sanhedriah beis hachaim, in Yerushalayim, where his two sons are buried.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.


Jan. 15

In 1559, England’s Queen Elizabeth I was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1777, the people of New Connecticut declared their independence. (The republic later became the state of Vermont.)

In 1989, NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and 12 other European countries adopted a human rights and security agreement in Vienna, Austria.

In 1993, a historic disarmament ceremony ended in Paris with the last of 125 countries signing a treaty banning chemical weapons.

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