This Day in History – 18 Sivan/June 16

18 Sivan

Yahrtzeiten

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

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

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

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

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, the son of Harav Yosef, was known as the masmid of Eishishuk, after his hometown.

As a bachur during World War I, Reb 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.

Reb Aharon was close to the Roshei Yeshivah, zt”l — 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. In 5684/1924, when a large group of talmidim relocated to Chevron, Reb Aharon went along.

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

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

For several decades, until his petirah, Reb 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 Behaalosecha, 18 Sivan 5721/1961, Reb Aharon was niftar at 56, and 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 16

In 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle in Scotland. (She escaped almost a year later but ended up imprisoned again.)

In 1858, accepting the Illinois Republican Party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate, Abraham Lincoln said the slavery issue had to be resolved, declaring, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

In 1903, Ford Motor Co. was incorporated.

In 1911, IBM had its beginnings as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. was incorporated in New York State.

In 1933, the National Industrial Recovery Act became law with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signature. (The Act was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.)

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was founded as President Roosevelt signed the Banking Act of 1933.

In 1963, the world’s first female space traveler, Valentina Tereshkova, 26, was launched into orbit by the Soviet Union aboard Vostok 6; she spent 71 hours in flight, circling the Earth 48 times before returning safely.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos exchanged the instruments of ratification for the Panama Canal treaties.

In 1999, Vice President Al Gore formally opened his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Thabo Mbeki took the oath as president of South Africa, succeeding Nelson Mandela.