This Day In History 19 Av/August 23

In 5674/1914, Russian authorities in Mitchenick, Poland, expelled the Jews in the first of a long series of expulsions that uprooted many Polish and Lithuanian Jewish communities.

Yahrtzeiten

5492/1732, Harav Yaakov Culi, zt”l, mechaber of Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez

5611/1851, Harav Aryeh Leib Balchover of Zaslev, zt”l, mechaber of Shem Aryeh

5696/1936, Harav Menachem Nachum of Boyan-Tchernowitz, zt”l

5714/1954, Harav Shimon Shalom Kalish, the Amshinover Rebbe, zt”l

5683/1923, Harav Aharon Menachem Mendel Eichenstein of Alesk, Zt”l

Harav Aharon Menachem Mendel Eichenstein was born c. 5620/1860. His father was Harav Sender Lipa of Ziditchov, the eldest son of Harav Yitzchak Isaac of Ziditchov. Orphaned at a young age, Reb Sender Lipa moved into the home of his grandfather, Harav Tzvi Hirsch of Ziditchov, who eventually married him off to the daughter of Rav Aharon Menachem Mendel of Veretzky. Reb Mendele Alesker, as he was called, was named after his maternal grandfather.

Harav Yitzchak Meir of Alesk, the eldest son of Harav Chanoch Henach Dov of Alesk, chose Reb Mendel as a chassan for his daughter Shlomtzi, when he became bar mitzvah.

After his marriage, Reb Mendel settled in Alesk, near his father-in-law, and continued to grow in Torah and avodas Hashem. He became especially close with his wife’s grandfather, the Lev Sameach of Alesk, who saw in Reb Mendel a budding talmid chacham and a dedicated Chassid with much potential. This close connection resulted in the Lev Sameach stipulating that after his son Reb Yitzchak, Reb Mendel should take over leading the Chassidim.

In the year 5644/1884, Reb Mendel suffered two great losses. At the beginning of the year, on Motzoei Yom Kippur, his father, Reb Sender Lipa, was niftar; and at the end of the year, on 2 Elul, the Lev Sameach was niftar. Reb Mendel was barely 24 at the time. After the petirah of the Lev Sameach, his son Reb Yitzchak, Reb Mendel’s father-in-law, was named Rebbe.

Following the petirah of his father-in-law, on 24 Adar 5664/1904, Reb Mendel was crowned Rebbe in his stead.

As Rebbe, Reb Mendel became known for his tefillos and his genius in Torah, both in nigleh and nistar. He was also renowned as a poel yeshuos and as a baal tzedakah who distributed huge sums to the poor. His home was always open, and he helped marry off many orphans, paying all the wedding expenses himself.

When World War I broke out, Reb Mendel was forced to flee, and he settled in Lvov (Lemberg). His Rebbetzin, along with their son, the bachur Asher Anshel, were niftar there. Later, Reb Mendel married Rebbetzin Chavah, the daughter of his brother-in-law Harav Chaim Yechiel Rubin.

Reb Mendel lived in Lvov until his petirah on 19 Av, 5683/1923. He was buried there, near his uncle Harav Shlomo of Sassov, and an ohel was built on his kever.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Aug. 23

In 1775, Britain’s King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in a state of “open and avowed rebellion.”

In 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to a non-aggression treaty, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, in Moscow.

In 1944, Romanian Prime Minister Ion Antonescu was dismissed by King Michael, paving the way for Romania to abandon the Axis in favor of the Allies.

In 1973, a bank robbery-turned-hostage-taking began in Stockholm, Sweden; the four hostages ended up empathizing with their captors, a psychological condition now referred to as “Stockholm Syndrome.”