This Day In History 13 Av/August 17

In 5058/1298, the Jews of Wurzburg, Germany, were ­massacred. Hy”d.


Yahrtzeiten

5589/1829, Harav Mordechai Banet, zt”l, Rav of Nicholsburg and mechaber of Parashas Mordechai

5625/1865, Harav Yehudah Leibish Pesach of Lipsk, zt”l

5744/1984, Harav Yosef Greenwald, the Pupa Rav, zt”l


13 Av 5733/1973, Harav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, zt”l

Harav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin was born in Byelorussia (today Belarus) on Rosh Chodesh Adar I 5641/1881. His father, Harav Eliezer Klonimus, was Rosh Yeshivah in Klimovitz.

He learned under Harav Isser Zalman Meltzer for close to six years, starting in 5657/1897, the first year of the yeshivah in Slutzk, and received semichah from him.

He was also given semichah by Harav Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky, the Ridvaz; Harav Boruch Ber Leibowitz, and Harav Yechiel Michel Epstein, the Aruch Hashulchan.

In 5663/1903, Reb Yosef Eliyahu married the daughter of Harav Yehudah Leib Kreindel of Kritchov. In 5680/1920 his wife and young son passed away from a raging epidemic.

After his first wife passed away, Reb Yosef Eliyahu remarried in Sivan 5681/1921. Persecuted by the Communist regime, Reb Yosef Eliyahu immigrated with his family to America in 5682/1922. He settled in New York’s East Side, where he was Rav of a shul.

In 5685/1925 he became the director of Ezras Torah, which provided assistance to ­talmidei chachamim. He served in that capacity until his petirah, disbursing millions of dollars to poor families in both America and in Eretz Yisrael.

Under his guidance and following his pesakim, Ezras Torah published an annual calendar listing the halachos and minhagim for each day. Many shuls in North America follow the decisions of Rav Henkin as their baseline.

Rav Henkin was one of the foremost poskim in America. In the years before Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, became renowned, Rav Henkin was considered the Mara d’Asra of America.

Rav Henkin and Reb Moshe, neighbors on the East Side, often sat together on a beis din. He is mentioned dozens of times in the Igros Moshe.

Many of Rav Henkin’s teshuvos were published in the sefer Even Mikir Tizak, and in his own sefarim: Pirushei Ibra and Kisvei Harav Henkin.

Rav Henkin was niftar on 13 Av 5733/1973 at the age of 93. He was buried in New Jersey.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.


Aug. 17

In 1807, Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat began heading up the Hudson River on its successful round trip between New York and Albany.

In 1863, Federal batteries and ships began bombarding Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor during the Civil War, but the Confederates managed to hold on despite several days of pounding.

In 1943, the Allied conquest of Sicily during World War II was completed as U.S. and British forces entered Messina.

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