This Day in History – 20 Adar 1/February 20

20 Adar

On this date, Choni HaMe’agel’s tefillah for rain was answered after a three-year drought in Eretz Yisrael, as mentioned in maseches Taanis 19. This incident took place during the time of the Second Beis Hamikdash.

In 5376/1616, the execution of Vincent Fettmilch, a Jew-hater who headed the baker’s guild in Frankfurt, Germany, took place; the Jews of Frankfurt celebrated a Purim in commemoration of that event.

During that era Frankfurt was a glorious kehillah numbering over 3,000 Jews. The evil Vincent Fettmilch battled the Yidden and tried to pass legislation that would expel them. After an unsuccessful attempt, he incited a mob that attacked the community mercilessly, which forced many residents to flee. When the emperor heard of this, he summoned Fettmilch to trial and he was sentenced to death.

Yahrtzeiten

5393/1633, Harav Meir Schiff, zt”l, the Maharam Shiff

5401/1641, Harav Yoel Sirkis, zt”l, the Bach

5695/1935, Harav Shlomo Aharonson, zt”l, Rav of Tel Aviv-Yaffo

5698/1938, Harav Moshe Landinski, zt”l, R”M in Yeshivas Radin

5755/1995, Harav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l

5765/2005, Harav Refael Blum, zt”l, the Kashau Rav

5772/2012

The Yeshuos Moshe of Vizhnitz, Harav Moshe Yehoshua Hager, zy”a

Harav Moshe Yehoshua Hager was born on 13 Sivan 5676/1916, in Vilchovitz, Romania. His father was the Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz, and his mother, Rebbetzin Margalis, was a daughter of Harav Ze’ev of Rachmastrivka.

Although this was the Imrei Chaim’s first son and there were many great ancestors after whom to name the newborn child, the Ahavas Yisrael of Vizhnitz, his grandfather, advised that he be named Moshe Yehoshua, after the first two leaders of Klal Yisrael, explaining that “the child has the neshamah of a Jewish leader.”

The Rebbe grew up in the home of the Ahavas Yisrael in Grosswardein, Hungary, and staunchly followed in his ways.

The Ahavas Yisrael was extremely fond of his young grandchild, telling one of his chassidim: “I am not totally lost — as long as I see that I love my Moshe, I know that my heart is still attracted to the good …”

In the Grosswardein Talmud Torah, the young Moshe Yehoshua refrained from playing with his friends, choosing to devote all of his time to learning.

Already in his early years, the Rebbe gained fame for his exceptional hasmadah, learning until the wee hours of the morning and, at least once a week, on Thursday nights, devoting the entire night to Torah study.

Even after his grandfather’s Friday night tisch, which concluded in the early hours of the morning, the young Moshe Yehoshua would be seen immersed in the sefer Chovos Halevavos.

In Grosswardein he learned with leading talmidei chachamim including Harav Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss, the Minchas Yitzchak, zt”l, who later taught the Rebbe shimush in halachah.

Later, the Rebbe traveled to Vizhnitz to learn in the yeshivah of his uncle, the Damesek Eliezer of Vizhnitz. At the young age of 20 he received semichah from the leading Rabbanim of Hungary, who applauded his wide knowledge and understanding in all halachos.

After the petirah of the Ahavas Yisrael, the Imrei Chaim, who was Rav in Vilchovitz, moved to Grosswardein to assume his father’s post, and the 20-year-old Harav Moshe Yehoshua was appointed Rav in Vilchovitz.

In 5702/1942, the Rebbe married Rebbetzin Leah Esther, the daughter of Harav Menachem Mendel of Dezh. After her passing, the Rebbe remarried, tbl”c, Rebbetzin Sheindel, the daughter of Harav Yehoshua Segal Deutsch, zt”l, Rav of Katamon.

The Rebbe was outstanding in his shemiras einayim. When he had to walk in the street, he would close his eyes and be led by a companion.

In Adar 5704/1944, when the Nazis invaded Hungary, the Rebbe fled to Grosswardein to be together with his father. The Jews of Grosswardein hid in bunkers, and those who could, fled to Romania.

From Romania, the Rebbe and his family made their way to Eretz Yisrael, arriving before Shabbos Mevorchim Elul 5704/1944.

His uncle, the Damesek Eliezer, appointed him Rosh Yeshivah in the new Vizhnitz Yeshivah in Tel Aviv. At that time, Eretz Yisrael was a spiritual and material wasteland; most of the bachurim were survivors who needed special care. The Damesek Eliezer, recognizing the Rebbe’s unique expertise in chinuch, placed in his hands the responsibility of meeting all the needs of the bachurim. He was their Rosh Yeshivah and maggid shiur, mashgiach, madrich and material caregiver, bringing the bachurim to heights of Torah and kedushah.

In 5707/1947, after the Imrei Chaim arrived in Eretz Yisrael and established the Vizhnitz neighborhood in Bnei Brak, Harav Moshe Yehoshua was appointed Rav of the neighborhood, in addition to heading the yeshivah and delivering daily shiurim.

On 9 Nisan 5732/1972, his father, the Imrei Chaim, was niftar and Harav Moshe Yehoshua was crowned Rebbe.

Under the Rebbe’s leadership, Vizhnitz blossomed and expanded in Eretz Yisrael and abroad, with the establishment of many Torah mosdos.

In his last years the Rebbe became very weak, yet despite his illness and frailty he continued to accept the chassidim and bestow his brachos. He would often hold tischen in his beis medrash.

The Rebbe was niftar on 20 Adar 5772/2012, at the age of 95. He was buried next to his father in the Vizhnitzer ohel in the Zichron Meir cemetery in Bnei Brak.

The Rebbe is survived by his Rebbetzin; his two sons, Vizhnitzer Rebbes in Bnei Brak, shlita; and four daughters, the Satmar Rebbetzin; the Skver Rebbetzin; the Belzer Rebbetzin; and Rebbetzin Hinda Ernster.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

February 20

In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the U.S. Post Office.

In 1809, the Supreme Court ruled that no state legislature could annul the judgments or determine the jurisdictions of federal courts.

In 1862, William Wallace Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of President Abraham Lincoln and first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, died at the White House, apparently of typhoid fever.

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded “idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons” from being admitted to the United States.

In 1933, Congress proposed the 21st Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution to repeal Prohibition.

In 1938, Anthony Eden resigned as British foreign secretary following Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s decision to negotiate with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. strategic bombers began raiding German aircraft manufacturing centers in a series of attacks that became known as “Big Week.”

In 1950, the U.S. Supreme Court, in United States v. Rabinowitz, ruled 5–3 that authorities making a lawful arrest did not need a warrant to search and seize evidence in an area that was in the “immediate and complete control” of the suspect.

In 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft.

In 1987, a bomb left by Unabomber Ted Kaczynski exploded behind a computer store in Salt Lake City, seriously injuring store owner Gary Wright.

Soviet authorities released Jewish activist Josef Begun.