This Day in History – 21 Adar II/March 28

21 Adar

In 4996/1236, the Jews of Narbonne, France, were saved from a mob. After a Jew quarreled with a wealthy gentile fish merchant, the fish merchant suddenly died. Angry mobs attacked the Jewish community and confiscated the sefarim of the Rav, Harav Meir ben Harav Yitzchok, zt”l, claiming that he was at fault in the merchant’s death. The Jews were saved when the ruler, Baron Emmerich, intervened and restored order. This is the oldest known community Purim.

Yahrtzeiten

5493/1733, Harav Avraham ben Musa, zt”l, mechaber of Minchas Sotah

5547/1787, Harav Elimelech, Rebbe of Lizhensk, zt”l

5637/1877, Harav Avigdor Halberstam, Rebbe of Dukla, zt”l

5656/1896, Harav Yitzchak Elchonon Spector, zt”l, Rav of Kovno

5678/1918, Harav Yitzchok of Ponevezh, zt”l, mechaber of Zecher Yitzchok

5695/1935, Harav Aryeh Leib Halberstam, zt”l, Rebbe of Sanz (Adar I)

5749/1989, Harav Shalom Schnitzler, zt”l, the Tchaba Rav of London (Adar I)


5696/1936

Harav Binyamin Fuchs, Rav of Gorsvardein, Zt”l

Harav Binyamin Fuchs was born on 11 Tishrei, 5637/1876. His father, Rav Moshe Tzvi, was Rav of Sered and Grossvardein.

Rav Binyamin learned in his father’s yeshivah, and later in the yeshivos of Harav Yehudah Greenwald, zt”l, in Satmar; of Harav Mordechai Leib Winkler, zt”l, in Brezava; and of Harav Simcha Bunim Sofer, zt”l, in Pressburg.

In 5661/1901 Rav Binyamin was appointed Rav in Brashau, and in 5665/1905 in Liaka. Subsequently he was Rav in Bezing and Nadi-Banya. In 5678/1918, with the petirah of his father, Rav Binyamin succeeded to the Rabbanus in Grossvardein.

Rav Binyamin was known as a lamdan and a speaker, delivering many profound drashos. He was at the forefront of the fight against those who wished to wreak havoc on Torah-true Yiddishkeit.

He had connections with the local government, of which he made use in times of strife for the benefit of his brethren.

Rav Binyamin was niftar suddenly at the age of fifty-nine on 21 Adar 5696/1936.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.


March 28

The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, circa 1979.
(United States Department of Energy)

In 1797, Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire received a patent for a washing machine.

In 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Wong Kim Ark ruled 6-2 that Wong, who was born in the United States to Chinese immigrants, was an American citizen.

In 1930, the names of the Turkish cities of Constantinople and Angora were changed to Istanbul and Ankara.

In 1969, the 34th president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, died in Washington, D.C. at age 78.

In 1979, America’s worst commercial nuclear accident occurred with a partial meltdown inside the Unit 2 reactor at the Three Mile Island plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania.

In 2003, American-led forces in Iraq dropped thousand-pound bombs on Republican Guard units guarding the gates to Baghdad and battled for control of the strategic city of Nasiriyah. President George W. Bush warned of “further sacrifice” ahead in the face of unexpectedly fierce fighting.

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