This Day in History – 26 Adar 1/February 26

26 Adar I

In 5004/1244, the pope issued an edict ordering the burning of the Talmud.

In 5437/1677, the Jewish community of Newport, R.I., bought land for a cemetery.

Yahrtzeiten

5573/1813, Harav Eliezer Lipa of Chmelnik, zt”l, son of the Rebbe Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk, zy”a

5682/1922, Harav Moshe Nachum Wallenstein, zt”l, Rav of the Perushim kehillah in Yerushalayim


 

5762/2002

Harav Avraham Chaim Brim, zt”l

Harav Avraham Chaim Brim was born in Yerushalayim in Teves 5682/1922. His father was Harav Mordechai Dovid Brim, zt”l, and his mother came from the distinguished Rokeach family, respected among Boyaner Chassidim and residents of Yerushalayim.

Reb Avraham Chaim learned at Yeshivas Etz Chaim, where he was a favorite of Harav Isser Zalman Meltzer, zt”l, the Rosh Yeshivah, and his son-in-law Harav Aharon Kotler, zt”l (later Rosh Yeshivah of Bais Medrash Govoha of Lakewood). Even as a youth he was an iluy, an oved Hashem with all his might and a diligent talmid chacham, modest, humble and kind to all.

He married the daughter of Harav Yisrael Taussig of Mattersdorf, zt”l, who loved him like a son and gave him unstinting support.

Despite his unassuming manner, Reb Avraham Chaim’s greatness was recognized by the Torah world: Lithuanian, Chassidic, askanim of Agudas Yisrael — all held him in the highest esteem.

He was one of the elite Yerushalmi bachurim who were close to the Chazon Ish, zt”l. The Chazon Ish recognized the extraordinary character of Harav Brim and showed him great affection, giving him certain hanhagos. Harav Brim was also close to the Brisker Rav, zt”l. Years later, when describing to his many listeners what it was like to be in contact with these Torah luminaries, he said, “The feeling was of Himeldige teig — Heaven on earth.”

Reb Avraham Chaim’s holiness was evident. From his youth, he took upon himself regular fasts and accustomed himself to a life of prishus. He received everyone with a smile, and radiated wisdom and mussar. He sympathized deeply with the sorrows of others; his entire being was suffused with love for his fellow Yid.

He taught Torah to multitudes of talmidim, was extremely active in safeguarding the kedushah of Yerushalayim, engaged in the battle for Shabbos observance and was active in outreach, delivering lectures wherever he was invited. He was also involved in distributing tzedakah discreetly.

Reb Avraham Chaim was close to the Rebbes of the Ruzhiner dynasty, and one of the closest Chassidim of the Boyaner Rebbe, zy”a. With all his greatness in Torah and Chassidus, Harav Avraham Chaim subjugated himself completely to the present Boyaner Rebbe, shlita.

For decades, Harav Chaim taught Torah in yeshivos and kollelim in Eretz Yisrael and abroad. He was a member of Kollel Chibas Yerushalayim-Rabi Meir Baal Haness. Wherever he taught he had a great impact on his talmidim.

In his youth, he and his brother Harav Yehoshua Brim founded the Boyaner kollel in Yerushalayim. For a few years, he was a R”M at the Mirrer Yeshivah in Yerushalayim and at the Slabodka Yeshivah in Bnei Brak. Later he founded Yeshivas Ohel Yaakov in Zichron Meir, Bnei Brak.

Reb Avraham Chaim spent several years in the United States, where he was Rosh Yeshivah of Skver. He was often invited to speak at Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, delivering mussar shmuessen there during Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.

Returning to Yerushalayim, Reb Avraham Chaim founded the Mishkan Yosef kollel, where he served as Rosh Kollel.

Besides teaching in yeshivos, Reb Avraham Chaim taught smaller groups of bachurim in his home, delivering chaburos and shiurim. Dozens of bachurim were regular Shabbos guests, and he inspired them to Chassidus and avodas Hashem.

Reb Avraham Chaim was a loyal member of Agudas Yisrael. He participated in all Agudah events and heeded the call of the generation’s Gedolim.

In the wake of the Six-Day War and the spiritual awakening that swept Israel, Reb Avraham Chaim headed groups of askanim who went out to spread the word of Hashem. This initiative quickly became the Shiurei Torah network of Agudas Yisrael, which Harav Brim supported all his life.

In his later years, Reb Avraham Chaim’s physical condition weakened. On Motzoei Shabbos Parashas Vayakhel/ Pekudei, 26 Adar 5762/2002, he was niftar at the age of 80.

Reb Avraham Chaim was buried on Har Hazeisim, in the Galicia section.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.


 

February 26

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the Island of Elba.

In 1904, the United States and Panama proclaimed a treaty under which the U.S. agreed to undertake efforts to build a canal across the Panama isthmus.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed a congressional act establishing Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge signed a measure establishing Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

In 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that Britain had developed its own atomic bomb.

In 1962, after becoming the first American to orbit the Earth, astronaut John Glenn told a joint meeting of Congress, “Exploration and the pursuit of knowledge have always paid dividends in the long run.”

In 1984, the last U.S. Marines deployed to Beirut as part of an international peacekeeping force withdrew from the Lebanese capital.

In 1987, the Tower Commission, which had probed the Iran-Contra affair, issued its report, which rebuked President Ronald Reagan for failing to control his national security staff.

In 1993, a truck bomb built by terrorists exploded in the parking garage of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.

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