This Day in History – 28 Nisan/May 6

In 2489/1272 B.C.E., the walls of the fortified city of Yericho fell and the Jews conquered it. For seven days, Bnei Yisrael had marched around the city walls carrying the aron kodesh, preceded by Kohanim sounding the shofar. On the seventh day, which fell on Shabbos, the walls crumbled and the city was conquered (Yehoshua 6). Yehoshua then composed the tefillah of Aleinu L’shabe’ach.

Yahrtzeiten

5420/1660, Harav Shabsi Sheftel Horowitz, zt”l, mechaber of Vavei Ha’amudim

5665/1905, Harav Yosef Yozke Rosenberg, zt”l, mechaber of Yad Yosef and Revid Hazahav

5688/1928, Harav Yissachar Leib Weinberg of Slonim, zt”l

5703/1943, Harav Shem Klingberg, zt”l, Hy”d, the Zaloshitzer Rebbe of Cracow

5761/2001, Harav Aharon Hakohen Rosenfeld, the Pinsk-Karliner Rebbe, zt”l

5633/1873, Harav Yehoshua of Ostrova, zt”l, author of Toldos Adam

Harav Yehoshua of Ostrova was the son of Harav Shlomo Leib of Lentchna.

In his youth, he learned under the tutelage of his father. He also traveled to the court of the Sar Shalom of Belz.

Reb Yehoshua frequented the courts of many of the generation’s Rebbes. Among them were Harav Yisrael of Ruzhin, Harav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, Harav Yitzchak of Vorka, Harav Meir of Premishlan and others. His father noted that it was no wonder he traveled to so many Rebbes, as his neshamah was that of the Tanna Rabi Yehoshua ben Perachyah, who says in Pirkei Avos that one should make a Rav for himself.

After the petirah of his father, on 19 Nisan 5603/1843, Reb Yehoshua succeeded him as Rebbe in Lentchna. Later he moved to Sosnowiec, and from there to Ostrova.

Reb Yehoshua served as Rebbe for 30 years. He was niftar on 28 Nisan 5633/1873 in Warsaw and was buried there. His kever was refurbished in recent years.

His divrei Torah were published under the name Toldos Adam, a year after his petirah. At the end of the sefer there were also some of the divrei Torah of his father, Reb Shlomo Leib, and of Rav Yerachmiel of Peshischa.

Reb Yehoshua’s only daughter married Harav Yitzchak Yaakov Rabinowitz of Biale — a descendant of the Yehudi Hakadosh — who succeeded his father-in-law.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

May 6

In 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower.

In 1891, electrician Irwin “Ike” H. Hoover began installing the first electrical wiring in the White House during the administration of President Benjamin Harrison. (Hoover ended up being offered a full-time job as White House electrician, which he accepted; he later became the White House chief usher.)

In 1935, the Works Progress Administration began operating under an executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.