This Day In History 13 Teves/January 11

In 5387/1626, the first issue of the siddur by the Hebrew printing press of Amsterdam was published.

Yahrtzeiten

5611/1850, Harav Moshe of Lelov, zt”l

5697/1936, Harav Shraga Feivel of Zalitchik, zt”l

5735/1974, Harav Yechiel Mordechai Gordon, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah of Lomza Yeshivah, mechaber of Nesivei Yam

5737/1977, Harav Yitzchak Hakohen Huberman, the tzaddik of Raanana, zt”l

Harav Yitzchak ben Harav Asher Anshel Hakohen Huberman was born in 5656/1896 in Tomashov, near Lublin.

From an early age he was known as an outstanding masmid. At the age of 10, he was already learning with the older bachurim in the beis medrash. In 5771/1911, he went to learn in the yeshivah of the Shem MiShmuel of Sochatchov, where he learned until the outbreak of World War I in 5774/1914.

At the age of 17, Reb Yitzchak began to learn horaah, beginning with Gemara Chullin and the Rishonim, and from there continuing with the Poskim, Shulchan Aruch, and Tur with Beis Yosef.

Reb Yitzchak would travel to the Imrei Emes of Ger, zy”a.

He learned under Harav Menachem Shachna Rutshbul, the author of She’eilos U’teshuvos Shem Olam and, after his petirah, under Harav Tzvi Glickson.

In 5687/1927, Reb Yitzchak had already written a work on the Torah and on Shas.

During World War II, Josef Stalin deported 200,000 Polish Jews, including Reb Yitzchak, to forced labor camps in Siberia and elsewhere. He kept Torah and mitzvos in the camp with mesirus nefesh. In the camp, Reb Yitzchak was given a job to chop wood. When he was once instructed to work on Shabbos, he chopped off the tip of his finger, thus exempting him from the work.

He even found time to write chiddushei Torah. He also kept a shofar in his pocket at all times, in case he wouldn’t be able to obtain one in time for Rosh Hashanah.

After the war, Rav Yitzchak served as a Rav for six years in Waltzer, Germany. A few years later, he moved to Eretz Yisrael, settling in Raanana.

Many people would visit Reb Yitzchak for his brachos and sage advice.

During the year 5736/1976, Reb Yitzchak began to talk a lot about the coming of Moshiach, adding that if he were to come in that year, he might still be zocheh to greet him.

In his last weeks, Reb Yitzchak became very weak. On the day of his petirah, he asked one of his attendants to dress him in Shabbos clothes. That night, an emissary of the Beis Yisrael came to visit Reb Yitzchak. An hour later, on the night of 13 Teves 5737/1977, Reb Yitzchak was niftar. He was buried on Har Hamenuchos.

Reb Yitzchak wrote many sefarim, the most famous of which is his work on the Chumash, Brachah Meshuleshes, which is known as a segulah to keep in one’s house.

Because he was childless, the public is asked to learn Mishnayos in memory of Reb Yitzchak ben Asher Anshel.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Jan. 11

In 1861, Alabama became the fourth state to withdraw from the Union.

In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the Grand Canyon National Monument. (It became a national park in 1919.)

In 1946, the People’s Republic of Albania was proclaimed after King Zog was formally deposed by the Communists.

In 1964, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued “Smoking and Health,” a report which concluded that “cigarette smoking contributes substantially to mortality from certain specific diseases and to the overall death rate.”

In 1989, nine days before leaving the White House, President Ronald Reagan bade the nation farewell in a prime-time address, saying of his eight years in office: “We meant to change a nation and instead we changed a world.”