This Day In History 4 Sivan/May 18

4 Sivan

In 2449, Moshe Rabbeinu explained to Bnei Yisrael the mitzvos of hagbalah and perishah. According to Rabi Yosi (Shabbos 86:B) there were three days of hagbalah, and the Torah was given on 7 Sivan; according to the Chachamim there were two days of hagbalah and the Torah was given on 6 Sivan.

On this day Moshe Rabbeinu wrote down the first 68 perakim of the Torah, from Bereishis to Mattan Torah, and the mitzvos that they were commanded in Marah. (Shemos 24:4; Rashi ibid.). He also taught the seven mitzvos of Bnei Noach.

In 4336/576, over 500 Jews were forcibly baptized in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

In 5241/1481, the pope issued an order calling on all Christian princes to send back to Spain any Jews who had fled from the Inquisition.

In 5408/1648, the infamous riots of tach v’tat broke out. Led by Bogdan Chmielnicki, they resulted in the massacre of more than 300,000 Jews, Hy”d.

Yahrtzeiten

5686/1926, Harav Moshe Jungreis, zt”l, Rav of Kashua

5648/1888

Harav Yeshaya Naftali Hertz of Dinov, Zt”l, mechaber of Hanosen Imrei Shefer

Born about 5598/1838, Harav Yeshaya Naftali Hertz was the son of Harav Dovid of Dinov, the Tzemach Dovid (son of Harav Tzvi Elimelech, the Bnei Yisoschor, zt”l). His mother was the daughter of the nagid Reb Yeshaya Naftali Hertz of Tarka, after whom he was named.

He married Rebbetzin Udel Rivkah, the daughter of his uncle Harav Elazar Shapiro of Lantzut, zt”l, the Yodei Binah.

After his father’s petirah in 5634/1874, he succeeded as Rav in Dinov as well as a Rebbe of chassidim.

Before the Tzemach Dovid was niftar, he attested that his three sons were likened to the three pillars of Torah, avodah and gemilus chassadim. Harav Tzvi Elimelech of Bluzhov was the pillar of Torah, and Harav Meir Yehudah of Bikovsk the pillar of gemilus chassadim; while the oldest son, Harav Yeshayah Naftali Hertz, was the pillar of avodah. Indeed, Chassidim related that his tallis was wet from perspiration after every single tefillah.

When the Divrei Chaim of Sanz married off his daughter to Harav Aharon of Beitch, he honored Rav Yeshayah Naftali Hertz with siddur kiddushin, although he was young at the time. The Divrei Chaim explained his choice by saying that a mesader kiddushin needs to be a yerei Shamayim, and this yungerman was total yirei Shamayim.

Rav Yeshayah Naftali Hertz was niftar young, at the age of 47. His brother-in-law, the Shem Shlomo of Munkatch, zt”l, remarked that his body could no longer contain his holy neshamah.

His son-in-law and successor, Harav Yosef Shapiro of Dinov, zt”l, published his divrei Torah in the sefer Hanosen Imrei Shefer.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

May 18

In 1642, the Canadian city of Montreal was founded by French colonists. (On this date in 1765, one-quarter of Montreal was destroyed by a fire.)

In 1652, Rhode Island became the first American colony to pass a law abolishing African slavery; however, the law was apparently never enforced.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a measure creating the Tennessee Valley Authority.

In 1998, the U.S. government filed an antitrust case against Microsoft, saying the powerful software company had a “choke hold” on competitors that was denying consumers important choices about how they bought and used computers. (The Justice Department and Microsoft reached a settlement in 2001.)