This Day In History 29 Sivan/June 23

In 2450/1311 B.C.E., Moshe Rabbeinu sent the meraglim to Eretz Yisrael.

In 5701/1941, within a few days of their effort to invade Russian-occupied territory, the Nazis overran Vilna, Kovno, Bialystok, and Riga, thereby closing the famed Slabodka and Telshe yeshivos, among others. The invasion brought about massive pogroms by the local populations in which thousands were killed.

Yahrtzeiten

5666/1906, Harav Moshe Nachum Yerushlamsky, zt”l, Rav of Kielce and mechaber of Minchas Moshe, Birkas Moshe and Be’er Moshe

5673/1913, Harav Shlomo Danah of Tunis, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah of Chevras Hatalmud and mechaber of Shalmei Todah

5684/1924, Dr. Yaakov Yisrael de Haan, Hy”d, the famous baal teshuvah and askan for Agudas Yisrael before the founding of the State of Israel. He was assassinated by the Zionists for his activities.

5607/1847, Harav Shmuel Shmaryahu Heine, Zt”l.

Rav Heine was born in 5518/1758. He was the son of Harav Yaakov of Zhvalin, a grandson of Harav Shmuel of Fiorda (mechaber of Beis Shmuel on Even Haezer). He was also a descendant of the Rema.

Reb Shmuel was a talmid of the Kozhnitzer Maggid, the Chozeh of Lublin and the Yehudi Hakadosh of Peshischa.

After their petirah, he traveled to Harav Yerachmiel of Peshischa and Harav Moshe Elyakim Briah of Kozhnitz.

Reb Shmuel served as Rav in Ostrovtza for close to 50 years. He was also Rosh Yeshivah in the city, teaching multitudes of bachurim. Among the more famous were Harav Shimshon, Rav of Kintzk; Harav Dov Berish, Rav of Zelichov; and Harav Moshe Yehudah, Rav of Konstantin.

Reb Shmuel was niftar on 29 Sivan, Erev Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, 5607/1847, at the age of 89, and was buried in Ostrovtza.

He wrote down many chiddushim on the Torah and in drush, including divrei Torah from his Rebbes that were unknown; he serves as the only source for these divrei Torah. They were published some 80 years after his petirah by his grandsons as Zichron Shmuel.

The sefer carries the haskamos of many of the generation’s foremost Gedolim, including Harav Meir Yechiel of Ostrovtza, the Knesses Yechezkel of Radomsk and Harav Shalom Mordechai of Brezhan.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.

June 23

In 1757, forces of the East India Company led by Robert Clive won the Battle of Plassey, which effectively marked the beginning of British colonial rule in India.

In 1931, aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took off from New York on a round-the-world flight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.

In 1947, the Senate joined the House in overriding President Harry S. Truman’s veto of the Taft-Hartley Act, designed to limit the power of organized labor.

In 1969, Warren E. Burger was sworn in as chief justice of the United States by the man he was succeeding, Earl Warren.