This Day in History – 25 Sivan/June 28

25 Sivan

In 3448, in the presence of Alexander Mokdon, Geviha ben Pesisa, the Jewish delegate, won the debate against the Yishmaelies, Egyptians and Canaanites in their claim to Eretz Yisrael, as cited in Megillas Taanis.

In 3875/115, the Tannaim Rabi Shimon ben Gamliel, Rabi Yishmael ben Elisha Kohen Gadol, and Rabi Chanina Segan Hakohanim of the Asara Harugei Malchus were killed by the Romans on this date. A taanis tzaddikim was decreed to mark this tragic event, as mentioned in Megillas Taanis and Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 580.

In 4981/1221, the Jews of Erfurt, Germany, were massacred al kiddush Hashem.

Yahrtzeiten

5581/1821, Harav Shmuel of Brod, zt”l, son of the Pnei Yehoshua

5636/1876, Harav Dov Berish Landau, Rebbe of Biala, zt”l

5646/1886, Harav Chaim Zisman Sofer, zt”l, mechaber of Machaneh Chaim and Kol Sofer

5704/1944, Harav Naftali Tzvi Shmerler, zt”l, mechaber of Imrei Naftali

5761/2001, Harav Baruch Shimon Schneerson, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah, Yeshivas Tchebin and mechaber of Birkas Shimon

5732/1972, Harav Moshe Tzvi Twersky, zt”l, the Tolna Rebbe of Philadelphia


5753/1993

Harav Reuven Fain, Zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Torah Vodaas and Mechaber of Bein Hamishpesayim

Harav Reuven Fain was born in Adar 5684/1924. His father, Harav Shabsi, zt”l, was Rav in Belitza, which was near Vilna.

Rav Reuven learned in the yeshivah in Slonim until 5700/1940. Then his father took him to Vilna, from where he fled to Japan with the many other bachurim, and joined up with the Mir Yeshivah under Harav Chaim Shmulevitz, zt”l. It was here, under the trying circumstances in Japan during the War, that Rav Reuven grew in Torah.

Rav Reuven once said that the Gemara he learned in Shanghai is what he remembers best because of the amount of time and effort spent on it.

During those years in Shanghai, Rav Reuven forged a close connection with the famous Mashgiach, Harav Yechezkel Levenstein, zt”l.

After the war Rav Reuven immigrated to Eretz Yisrael. He married the daughter of Harav Eliezer Alfa, zt”l, Rav in Haifa.

He began disseminating Torah at a relatively young age. For many years he was a Maggid Shiur in Yeshivas Beis Meir in Bnei Brak. His shiurim were known for their depth and the mesirus nefesh he put into delivering them.

In 5742/1982, Rav Reuven was appointed Rosh Yeshivah in Mesivta Torah Vodaas. He resettled in the United States, considering this yet another stage in hevei goleh l’makom Torah, “exile yourself to a place of Torah.”

Rav Reuven was niftar on 25 Sivan 5753/1993, at the age of only sixty-nine.

He wrote many of his chiddushim on a number of masechtos under the name Bein Hamishpesayim.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.


June 28

In 1838, Britain’s Queen Victoria was crowned.

In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, were shot to death in by Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip — an act that sparked World War I.

In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed in France, ending the First World War.

In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Alien Registration Act, also known as the Smith Act, which required adult foreigners residing in the U.S. to be registered and fingerprinted.

In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved commemorations for Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day and Veterans Day to Monday, creating three-day holiday weekends beginning in 1971.

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