This Day In History 7 Tishrei/September 27

In 5700/1939, Germany occupied Lukow, Poland, killing many Jews. Hy”d.

Yahrtzeiten

5573/1812, Harav Yitzchak Michoel Pintzo of Italy, zt”l, mechaber of Pri Yitzchok.

5612/1851, Harav Nachum, Rebbe of Makarov, zt”l, son of Harav Mordechai of Chernobyl.

5766/2005, Harav Binyamin Zeilberger, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Hatalmud

5497/1736, Harav Dovid Oppenheim, zt”l, Rav of Nikolsburg and Prague

Harav Dovid Oppenheim was born in 5424/1664. His father was Rav Avraham, one of the prominent community leaders of Worms.

When Rav Dovid was young, his father sent him to learn under some of the Torah giants of the day. Among them were Harav Wolf Epstein, Rav of Friedberg; Harav Gershon Ashkenazi (the Avodas HaGershuni); and Harav Yaakov, the father of the Chacham Tzvi, zecher tzaddikim livrachah. (When Rav Gershon published his sefer, Rav Dovid graced it with a hakdamah.) His main Rebbi was Harav Yitzchak Binyamin Wolf, zt”l, Rav of Landsberg and mechaber of Nachlas Binyamin.

At the age of 20 Rav Dovid received semichah from his mentors, and he soon became known in all of Germany for his vast Torah knowledge.

In Elul 5449/1689, with the petirah of Harav Binyamin Banet, zt”l, the position of Rav of Nickolsburg became vacant and Rav Dovid was invited to fill it. The position included responsibility for the entire state of Mehrin. Rav Dovid was just 26 years old.

Many halachic questions were directed to Rav Dovid by the leading Gedolim of his generation, among them the Chavos Yair, the Shvus Yaakov, the Knesses Yechezkel and Harav Avraham Broide, zecher tzaddikim livrachah.

Due to his dedication, the members of his community respected Rav Dovid highly. This esteem is reflected in a number of the amendments made both by the government and the Jewish communities.

Many other cities wanted Rav Dovid to serve as their Rav, and large and prestigious communities sent him invitations to do so. However, Rav Dovid had become deeply attached to the members of Nickolsburg’s community, and he refused to leave them until 5462/1702, when two people approached Rav Dovid with a letter from the community of Prague, offering him the position of Rav. He agreed and Rav Dovid was Rav in Prague for 34 years, until his petirah.

Even after assuming the position as Rav of Prague, Rav Dovid remained in close contact with the members of Nickolsburg’s community, and he left his large library there. After a while, a decree was issued to burn all of the sifrei kodesh in Prague. Because Rav Dovid had left his library in Nickolsburg, it was spared from this decree.

In time, Rav Dovid was also appointed Rav of the entire state of Moravia and eventually Bohemia, and Vienna.

On 7 Tishrei, 5497/1736, Rav Dovid was niftar. He was buried in Prague.

His library included 20 sefarim that he himself wrote on all aspects of the Torah, including his teshuvos, Nish’al L’Dovid.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

September 27

In 1779, John Adams was named by Congress to negotiate the Revolutionary War’s peace terms with Britain.

In 1928, the United States said it was recognizing the Nationalist Chinese government.

In 1939, Warsaw, Poland, surrendered after weeks of resistance to invading forces from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II.

In 1979, Congress gave its final approval to forming the U.S. Department of Education.