This Day In History 29 Teves/January 16

In 5553/1793, Purim Burgel was established in Tripoli, commemorating the downfall of the Burgel Pasha.

Yahrtzeiten

5562/1802, Harav Alexander Margulies, Rav of Stanov, zt”l

5650/1890, Harav Nosson Adler of London, zt”l, the Nesinah LaGer

5658/1898, Harav Moshe Yehoshua Leib Diskin, Rav of Brisk-Yerushalayim, zt”l

5670/1910, Harav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchak, Rebbe of Alexander, zt”l, the Yismach Yisrael

5679/1919, Harav Eliyahu Moshe Peniel, zt”l, Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel

5757/1997, Harav Asher Anshel Kraus, Rebbe of Ratzfert, zt”l

5766/2006, Harav Yitzchok Kaduri, zt”l

5749/1989, Harav Meir Chodosh, Zt”l, Mashgiach of Yeshivas Chevron

Harav Meir Halevi Chodosh was born on 27 Shevat 5658/1898 in Paritch, Lithuania. His father, Reb Ben Tzion, and his mother, Machla, were very pious people.

When Rav Meir was 11 he began to learn with his older cousin Leibele Lebowitz, a talmid at the Slabodka yeshivah. Leibele soon returned to yeshivah, though, and Meir was left without a chavrusa.

On his next visit home, Leibele took Meir back with him to Slabodka, hoping to register him in the yeshivah. However, the Mashgiach, Harav Ber Hirsch Heller, zt”l, refused to accept him because of his age, but he decided to remain in Slabodka and prove that he was worthy of becoming a full-fledged talmid.

Since he hadn’t been accepted, Meir had no place to sleep or eat. Despite these hardships, he learned with outstanding hasmadah. Word of his accomplishments reached the Mashgiach. He decided to test Rav Meir, and accepted him into the yeshivah despite his youthful age.

During his years in Slabodka, Rav Meir became a close talmid and confidant of Harav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, zt”l, the Alter of Slabodka. It is said that Rav Meir not only absorbed the Alter’s teachings, but also resembled him in all his traits and manners.

In 5685, the Alter, accompanied by Rav Meir and a group of students, set out for the already established yeshivah in Chevron. The yeshivah flourished, and Rav Meir became the Alter’s right-hand person.

In 5686/1926 he married Tzivia Leah, the daughter of Harav Naftali Menachem Hutner, a niece of Harav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah of Chevron.

After the Alter’s petirah in 1927, Rav Meir remained in the yeshivah, overseeing its students’ spiritual growth, together with Harav Yehudah Leib Chasman, zt”l. This period, however, was cut short by the infamous Arab massacre of Chevron’s Jews on Shabbos morning, 16 Av 5689/1929.

Afterwards, the yeshivah moved to Yerushalayim, settling first in the Achvah neighborhood and then in Geulah. During that period, Rav Meir served as the yeshivah’s Mashgiach alongside Harav Chasman.

Once a week, Rav Meir held a vaad in his home. Every week the bachurim had to request that it take place, as Rav Meir wished to train his students to actively pursue mussar.

Another highlight of Rav Meir’s role as Mashgiach were his famous shmuessen.

In addition to serving as the Mashgiach of Chevron, Rav Meir founded Yeshivas Ateres Yisroel with his son-in-law Harav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi, shlita, and Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon with his son Rav Moshe Mordechai, zt”l. He served as Mashgiach in both. He also founded the Chevron Yeshivah’s famous kollel, Yeshivas Beis Midrash leTorah.

On 29 Teves he was niftar at the age of 91. He was buried on Har Hazeisim, near the kever of the Alter of Slabodka, in the plot of the Roshei Yeshivah of Chevron.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.

Jan. 16

In 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman decreed that 400,000 acres of land in the South would be divided into 40-acre lots and given to former slaves. The order, later revoked by President Andrew Johnson, is believed to have inspired the expression “Forty acres and a mule.”

In 1866, Mr. Everett Barney patented the metal screw, clamp skate.

In 1883, the United States Civil Service Commission was established as the Pendleton Act went into effect.

In 1920, Prohibition began in the United States as the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect, one year to the day after its ratification. It was later repealed by the 21st Amendment.

In 1957, three B-52s took off from Castle Air Force Base in California on the first non-stop, round-the-world flight by jet planes, which lasted 45 hours and 19 minutes.