This Day in History – 24 Elul/September 4

24 Elul

In 3410, Hashem awakened the spirit of Zerubavel and Yehoshua ben Yehotzadok to begin the work of building the Second Beis Hamikdash.

Yahrtzeiten

5462/1702, Harav Moshe Charif, zt”l, Rav of Lvov

5575/1815, Harav Yosef Moshe of Zolozitz, zt”l, mechaber of Bris Avram

5736/1976, Harav Yechezkel Abramsky, zt”l

5753/1993, Harav Chaim Milikowski, zt”l, father of, ybl”c, the Amshinover Rebbe, shlita, of Bayit Vegan

5693/1933,

Harav Yisrael Meir Hakohen Kagan, the Chofetz Chaim, Zt”l

The Chofetz Chaim was born on 11 Shevat 5599/1839 in the small town of Zhetel.

When the Chofetz Chaim was only 14 years old, his father, Reb Aryeh Zev Hakohen, was niftar from an epidemic that raged in Vilna at the time. His older brother Aharon took care of him for the next three years. At the age of 17, he married and moved to the town of Radin, Poland, and settled there in the home provided by his Rebbetzin’s parents.

He studied Torah day and night, while his Rebbetzin operated a small general store that provided a meager livelihood. The Chofetz Chaim would say to his son, “The little Torah I possess is attributable to your mother.”

The Chofetz Chaim showed great concern for the townspeople of Radin. He gave shiurim for them in Shulchan Aruch, mixed with mussar. On Shabbos he would teach them Chumash with Rashi.

The Chofetz Chaim learned Torah in great depth, always starting from the source and then proceeding through the commentaries until the final halachah. He started with Chumash, then went to the comments of Chazal on the Chumash, to the Targum, Rashi and Ramban, to the Mishnah and the Gemara, then to the Rif and Rambam, then to the other Rishonim and then to the Tur and Shulchan Aruch.

When the Chofetz Chaim was about 30, he began to write his sefer Chofetz Chaim on the laws of lashon hara and slander.

In 5624/1864, the first volume of Mishnah Berurah was published. Throughout the printing, he remained in Warsaw and visited the printer daily to check for errors.

He placed his name on the title page of the Mishnah Berurah. He explained that “a halachah sefer must be open to criticism by bnei Torah, and the mechaber must be prepared to defend his psakim and to cite the authorities for them. The mechaber must also be prepared to change a psak in accordance with the sound arguments of [others].”

Other sefarim of the Chofetz Chaim include Ahavas Chessed, Machaneh Yisrael, Nidchei Yisrael, Shemiras Halashon, Toras Habayis, Shem Olam and Likutei Halachos on Kodashim.

The Chofetz Chaim led a yeshivah in Radin.

At the age of 94, on 24 Elul 5693, the Chofetz Chaim was niftar. He was buried in Radin.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Sept. 4

In 1888, George Eastman registered the name “Kodak” and patented his roll-film camera. The camera took 100 exposures per roll.

In 1944, during World War II, British troops liberated Antwerp, Belgium.

In 1987, a Soviet court convicted West German pilot Mathias Rust of charges stemming from his daring flight to Moscow’s Red Square, and sentenced him to four years in a labor camp. Rust was released in August 1988.

In 1998, the International Monetary Fund approved a $257 million loan for the Ukraine.