This Day in History – 2 Iyar/May 2

In 5680/1920, the Supreme Council of the Peace Conference recognized the Balfour Declaration and proclaimed Eretz Yisrael a mandated territory under British administration.             

In 5705/1945, the British army liberated the death camp of Bergen-Belsen and its 40,000 barely surviving inmates.

Yahrtzeiten

5320/1560, Harav Kalman Vermeiza of Lvov, zt”l, one of the first marbitzei Torah in Poland

5330/1570, Harav Nassan Shapiro, zt”l, mechaber of Sh’arim L’sharei Dura

5572/1812, Harav Avraham Dov Ber Auerbach, zt”l, Rav of Chmelnik

5663/1903, Harav Yosef Shlofer, zt”l, mechaber of Poras Yosef

5675/1915, Harav Moshe Zakan Mazuz of Djerba (Tunisia), zt”l, mechaber of Shaarei Moshe

5693/1933, Harav Yosef Nechemiah Kornitzer, zt”l, the last Rav of Cracow

5750/1990, Harav Avraham Badush of Mexico, zt”l, mechaber of Me’oros Avraham

5751/1991, Harav Tzvi Hersh Zaks, zt”l, a grandson of the Chofetz Chaim

5669/1909

Harav Avraham Yitzchak Glick, zt”l, Rav of Toltchova

Harav Avraham Yitzchak Glick was born in 5586/1826, in the village Wieretsh, near Debrecen, Hungary.

His parents’ previous children had passed away in their youth, so when this son was born, his father, Rav Shammai, and
his mother accepted upon themselves to fast every Monday and Thursday, hoping that in that zechus Hashem would grant their son a long life, and that the boy would grow up to be a yerei Shamayim and a lamdan.

At the age of 12, Reb Avraham Yitzchak went to learn in the yeshivah of Harav Shmuel Shmelke Klein, who was then Rav in Balkany. Later, he moved on to the yeshivah of Harav Yitzchak Tzvi Margareten, Rav of Abraham. From this yeshivah, with many years of solid learning behind him, Reb Avraham Yitzchak moved to the yeshivah of Harav Moshe Perels, in Bonihad.

In 5606/1846, when Reb Avraham Yitzchak was already known as a talmid chacham and lamdan, he was taken as chassan by Harav Yeshayah Bannet of Kalov. He was the son of Harav Mordechai Bannet of Nikolsburg.

For the next three years, Reb Avraham Yitzchak lived in the home of his father-in-law, dedicating himself to Torah, unhindered by worldly issues.

Many kehillos asked Reb Avraham Yitzchak to serve as their Rav, but he declined. His father-in-law had given him a few buildings that enabled him to support himself without needing to accept a position.

A few years later, Reb Avraham Yitzchak lost all his properties, including his own house, to a devastating fire. He was thus forced to take up a Rabbinical post.

He took the position of Rav of Toltchova, where he also headed a yeshivah. He was Rav there for nearly 50 years.

Reb Avraham Yitzchak was known as a tremendous masmid who did not waste a second of his time.

In 5651/1851, he published She’eilos U’teshuvos Parashas Mordechai, by his grandfather Harav Mordechai Bannet. Four years later, Reb Avraham Yitzchak published his own works, Be’er Yitzchak on maseches Chullin, followed by She’eilos U’teshuvos Yad Yitzchak and Be’er Yitzchak on maseches Gittin. Many of Reb Avraham Yitzchak’s other chiddushim remain in manuscript form.

Reb Avraham Yitzchak had an only son, Rav Mordechai, who was a talmid chacham and wrote the sefer Chatzar Hamelech on the Rambam. Tragically, Rav Mordechai passed away during the lifetime of his father.

Reb Avraham Yitzchak was niftar on 2 Iyar 5669/1909, at the age of 83.

His two sons-in-law were Harav Avraham Halevi Jungreis, the son of the Menuchas Asher (who was also niftar during the life of his father-in-law), and Harav Yechezkel Bannet, Rav of St. Warrell.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.

May 2

In 1863, during the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Va.; he died eight days later.

In 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was organized.

In 1945, the Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin, and the Allies announced the surrender of Nazi troops in Italy and parts of Austria.

In 1963, the Children’s Crusade began in Birmingham, Ala., as more than 1,000 black schoolchildren skipped classes and marched downtown to protest racial segregation; hundreds were arrested.

In 1972, a fire at the Sunshine silver mine in Kellogg, Idaho, claimed the lives of 91 workers who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

In 1994, Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the wake of South Africa’s first democratic elections; President F.W. de Klerk acknowledged defeat.

In 2011, after a decade on the run, Osama bin Laden was killed by elite American forces at his Pakistan compound, then quickly buried at sea.