This Day In History – 18 Sivan/June 1

18 Sivan

Yahrtzeiten

5411/1651, Harav Avraham Hakohen Rappaport, zt”l, mechaber of Eisan Ha’ezrachi

5603/1843, Harav Yissochor Dov, the Saba Kadisha of Radoshitz, zt”l

5696/1936, Harav Yerucham Levovitz, zt”l, Mashgiach of Yeshivas Mir

5704/1944, Harav Yaakov Elimelech and Harav Chaim Menachem Mendel Paneth of Dezh, Hy”d

5704/1944, Harav Moshe Mordechai Shteger, zt”l, mechaber of Meged Shamayim

5713/1953, Harav Avraham Yosef Pesachovitz, zt”l, mechaber of Be’er Mayim

5732/1972, Harav Moshe Leib Shapiro, zt”l, mechaber of Taba’os Hachoshen

5721/1961

Harav Aharon Cohen, Zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron

Harav Aharon Cohen was born in Nisan 5665/1905 in a small village near Kovno. His father, Harav Avraham Mordechai, zt”l, the son of Harav Yosef, was known as the masmid of Eishishuk, after his hometown.

As a bachur during World War I, Rav Aharon learned in Yeshivas Lomza, then in Ukraine (Prilocki, Charkhov). After the war he returned home and learned in Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael in Slabodka. He was soon considered the iluy of the yeshivah.

Rav Aharon was close to the heads of the yeshivah — the Alter of Slabodka, Harav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, his son-in-law, Harav Yitzchak Eizik Sher, Harav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, and Harav Avraham Grodzinski, the Mashgiach, zecher tzaddikim livrachah. In 5684/1924, when a large group of talmidim relocated to Chevron, Rav Aharon went along.

The Rosh Yeshivah, Harav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, chose Rav Aharon as a chassan for his daughter. The wedding took place in Chevron in 5689/1929. For the next five years, Rav Aharon sat and learned.

With the petirah of Rav Epstein on 10 Kislev 5694/1934, his son-in-law, Harav Yechezkel Sarna, zt”l, replaced him as Rosh Yeshivah; Rav Aharon, the other son-in-law, served as his deputy.

For several decades, until his petirah, Rav Aharon was a leading maggid shiur in Yeshivas Chevron, which had moved to Yerushalayim following the pogrom of 5689/1929. He also gave mussar shmuessen.

On Erev Shabbos Parashas Behaalos’cha, 18 Sivan 5721/1961, Rav Aharon was niftar. He was buried on Har Hamenuchos. He left no children. Some of his chiddushim on Torah and halachah were published under the title Beis Aharon.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.

June 1

In 1792, Kentucky became the 15th state.

In 1796, Tennessee became the 16th state.

In 1813, the mortally wounded commander of the USS Chesapeake, Capt. James Lawrence, gave the order, “Don’t give up the ship” during a losing battle with the British frigate HMS Shannon in the War of 1812.

In 1958, Charles de Gaulle became premier of France.

In 1977, the Soviet Union formally charged Jewish human rights activist Anatoly Sharansky with treason. (Sharansky was imprisoned, then released in 1986; he’s now known as Natan Sharansky.)