This Day in History 21 Kislev/November 29

In 5505/1744, Austrian forces massacred many Jews in Prague, Hy”d.


Yahrtzeiten

5531/1770, Harav Binyamin Rappaport, zt”l, Rav of Kalisch

5596/1835, Harav Yaakov Koppel Charif, zt”l, Rav of Verbau

5615/1854, Harav Yaakov Meir Padwa of Brisk, zt”l, mechaber of Mekor Mayim Chayim on Yoreh De’ah

5624/1863, Harav Naftali of Tcherkas, zt”l

5684/1923, Harav Yosef Pressburger, zt”l, mechaber of Tiferes Yosef, Rav of Mattersdorf

5701/1940, Harav Moshe Shmuel Brisk of Budapest, zt”l

5716/1955, Harav Yochanan, Rebbe of Stolin, zt”l


5721/1960, Harav Tzvi Pesach Frank, Zt”l, Rav of Yerushalayim and Author of Har Tzvi

Harav Tzvi Pesach Frank was born in Kovno, Lithuania, in 5633/1873. His father was Harav Yehudah Leib, zt”l, a talmid chacham who made great efforts to ensure that his oldest son would grow in Torah. These efforts paid off; young Pesach Tzvi was a diligent talmid with a clear and deep understanding of his learning.

His mother related that once she gave her son some pocket money. When she asked him what he had done with it, he replied that he had put it in the tzedakah pushke in the shul, with a tefillah that he succeed in learning.

His father chose an especially capable melamed for his gifted son. To his surprise, even this melamed returned the bright boy to his father, “I have nothing more to teach him. He surpasses my understanding in Gemara. How can I take money for such a job?”

Rav Tzvi Pesach learned under Harav Eliezer Gordon, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Telz, and in other top Lithuanian yeshivos

In 5653/1893 he emigrated to Eretz Yisrael together with his parents. He learned under Harav Yehoshua Leib Diskin, zt”l, in Yeshivas Toras Chaim, and was also close with Harav Shmuel Salant, zt”l, Rav of Yerushalayim, and Harav Shlomo Elazar Alfandri, zt”l, the Sabba Kaddisha.

Rav Tzvi Pesach married Rebbetzin Gittel Malkah, daughter of Harav Dovid Shapira and granddaughter of Harav Chaim Yaakov Shapira, zt”l, Dayan in Rav Shmuel Salant’s beis din. He was very close with his grandfather by marriage and learned halachah under him.

In 5667/1907 he was appointed Dayan in the Yerushalayim beis din, which was headed by Harav Shmuel Salant.

Rav Tzvi Pesach’s sefarim include Har Tzvi, a compendium of responsa; Har Tzvi on the Torah; Har Tzvi on Shas; and Mikro’ei Kodesh on the Yamim Tovim.

Rav Tzvi Pesach was a much beloved Rav due to his chessed and devotion to all of Yerushalayim’s citizens.

He was niftar on 21 Kislev 5721/1960 after serving for more than 50 years as Rav in Yerushalayim.

Yehi zichro baruch


Nov. 29

In 1910, British explorer Robert F. Scott’s ship Terra Nova set sail from New Zealand, carrying Scott’s expedition on its ultimately futile — as well as fatal — race to reach the South Pole first.

In 1929, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd, pilot Bernt Balchen, radio operator Harold June and photographer Ashley McKinney made the first airplane flight over the South Pole.

In 1947, the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the partitioning of Palestine between Arabs and Jews; 33 members, including the United States, voted in favor of the resolution, 13 voted against while 10 abstained. The plan, rejected by the Arabs, was never implemented.

In 1961, a chimpanzee was launched from Cape Canaveral aboard the Mercury-Atlas 5 spacecraft, which orbited earth twice before returning.

In 1963, President Johnson named a commission headed by Earl Warren to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy on Nov. 22.

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