This Day In History 29 Shevat/February 14

Yahrtzeiten

5655/1895, Harav Shmuel Abba Hager, Rebbe of Horodenka, Zt”l

5587/1827, Harav Menachem Mendel of Shklov, Zt”l

5587/1827, Harav Reuven Horowitz, Zy”a, of Zarnovtza, the Dudaim Basadeh

Harav Reuven Halevi Horowitz was the son of Harav Yaakov Chaim, zt”l, Rav of Navipoli.

Rav Reuven was a talmid of Harav Yonason Eibschitz, zt”l, in Germany, his home country. He quotes Rav Eibschitz in his sefer.

He was attracted to the ways of Chassidus while learning together with his brother Harav Meir, zt”l, later Rav of Sheps, in the yeshivah of their relative, the Rebbe Harav Shmelke of Nikolsburg, zy”a.

Following the petirah of Rav Shmelke on 1 Iyar 5538/1778, Rav Reuven began to travel to the Rebbe Harav Elimelech of Lizhensk, zy”a, and was among his closest Chassidim. There is almost no parashah covered in his Dudaim Basadeh without a quote from the Noam Elimelech. Rav Elimelech held his Chassid Rav Reuven in high esteem, although he was still quite young.

Rav Reuven was appointed Rav in Guaten, Germany, at a relatively young age. He was renowned for his drashos and the many she’eilos he addressed, which haven’t yet been published, although some of his drashos have.

He was Rav there for a few years, until the followers of Shabsai Tzvi libeled him to the government, because he had fought viciously to rid the town of them. He was forced to leave Germany about 5555/1795.

Thus Rav Reuven returned to Navipoli, where his father had been Rav; later he settled in Zarnovtza, where, as one of the elder Chassidim of Rav Elimelech and the Kozhnitzer Maggid, zy”a, he opened his court.

As Rav in Zarnovtza, Reb Reuven would also journey to the Chozeh of Lublin, zy”a, who said that he was one of the lamed-vav tzaddikim of the generation.

When an epidemic broke out in Zarnovtza, a pidyon was sent to the Chozeh, who told them to build a house for Rav Reuven. When they began preparations — just gathering the building materials — the epidemic stopped, in the zechus of the tzaddik.

The divrei Torah of Rav Reuven weren’t published until 5619/1859 when his grandson, Harav Eliezer Yerucham, zy”a, the son of his son-in-law Harav Yisrael Yitzchak of Radoshitz, zy”a, did so, with a haskamah from the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, who named the sefer Dudaim Basadeh.

Rav Reuven was niftar on 30 Shevat. The exact year of his petirah is unknown, but it was certainly after the year 5587/1827, because he was mentioned that year as among the living. He was buried in Zarnovtza.

Reb Reuven was succeeded by his son, Harav Yehudah Aryeh Leibush, zy”a, as Rav in Zarnovtza. His sons-in-law were Harav Aryeh Leibush, zy”a, Rebbe of Opale-Ozherov, the founder of the Ozherover dynasty, and Harav Yisrael Yitzchak, zy”a, Rebbe of Radoshitz, the son of the Saba Kadisha, zy”a. According to another opinion, Harav Yisrael Yitzchak was the son-in-law of Harav Yehudah Aryeh Leibush.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Feb. 15

In 1758, Mustard was advertised for the first time in America.

In 1971, Britain and Ireland “decimalized” their currencies, making one pound equal to 100 new pence instead of 240 pence.

In 1989, the Soviet Union announced that the last of its troops had left Afghanistan, after more than nine years of military intervention.

In 2002, President George W. Bush approved Nevada’s Yucca Mountain as a site for long-term disposal of radioactive nuclear waste.