This Day in History – 10 Cheshvan/October 19, 2018

10 Cheshvan

Yahrtzeiten

1656, Mesushelach was niftar seven days before the Mabul began (according to some he was niftar on 11 Cheshvan). On this day Noach and his family entered the teivah.

2321, Gad, son of Yaakov Avinu. He was also born on this date in 2196

5421/1660, Harav Yechiel Michel of Cracow, zt”l, mechaber of Seder Gittin

5510/1749, Harav Aryeh Leib of Stanislav, zt”l, mechaber of Nachlas Aryeh

5550/1789, Harav Meir, zt”l, Rav of Lvov and Ostroha, mechaber of Meir Nesivim

5587/1826, Harav Avrohom Oppenheim, zt”l, mechaber of Eishel Avraham on Shulchan Aruch

5592/1831, Harav Yosef Meir, zt”l, Rav of Golina

5612/1851, Harav Yitzchok Schick, Rav of Karlin, zt”l, mechaber of Keren Orah

5633/1872, Harav Meir Shapit of Kobrin, zt”l, mechaber of Nir L’Yerushalmi

5726/1965, Harav Dov Berish Weidenfeld, the Tchebiner Rav, zt”l

5662/1901

Harav Shmuel Zanvil Klapfish, Zt”l, Rav in Warsaw

Harav Shmuel Zanvil Klapfish was born in 5585/1825 in Nemirov. When he was still a young boy, his family moved to Warsaw.

He was a talmid of Harav Moshe Yehudah Leib Silberberg, zt”l, the Zayis Ra’anan, and received semichah from Harav Chaim Davidson, zt”l, Rav of Warsaw.

Reb Shmuel Zanvil married the daughter of Harav Mordechai, zt”l, known as Reb Mottele, a Rav in Warsaw.

After the petirah of Harav Nosson (Reb Noske) Spiegelglass, zt”l, of Warsaw in 5633/1873, Rav Shmuel Zanvil was appointed his successor.

Rav Shmuel Zanvil headed a yeshivah in Warsaw from which many leading talmidei chachamim emerged. He delivered a daily shiur of seven hours’ duration. Later, when the responsibility of Rav took more of his time, his shiur was only (!) four hours long. Rav Shmuel Zanvil purposely located the yeshivah far from his home so he would not be disturbed with she’eilos while saying shiur.

Many leading Gedolim addressed their she’eilos to Rav Shmuel Zanvil, among them the Chiddushei Harim, zy”a, who knew Rav Shmuel Zanvil from his days in Warsaw; Harav Yosef Ber, the Brisker Rav, zt”l; and Harav Dov Berish Meizlish, zt”l.

Rav Shmuel Zanvil was niftar on 10 Cheshvan 5662/1901, at the age of 76.

He had written chiddushei Torah on many masechtos and also many halachic teshuvos, but these were never printed.

His son was Harav Mordechai, zt”l, Rav in Warsaw. His sons-in-law were Harav Shlomo Dovid Kahana, Harav Chaim Yehudah Leib Yudkowski, and Harav Abba Chaim Miklishanksi, all of whom served as Rabbanim in Warsaw; and Harav Chaim Fein, Rav in Radzin, zecher tzaddikim livrachah.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.

Oct. 19

In 1781, British troops under Gen. Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, as the American Revolution neared its end.

In 1789, John Jay was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the United States.

In 1967, the U.S. space probe Mariner 5 flew past Venus.

In 1977, the supersonic Concorde made its first landing in New York City.

In 1987, the stock market crashed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points, or 22.6 percent in value (its biggest daily percentage loss), to close at 1,738.74 in what came to be known as “Black Monday.”

In 2005, Saddam Hussein pleaded innocent to charges of premeditated murder and torture as his trial opened under heavy security in the former headquarters of his Baath Party in Baghdad.