This Day In History 5 Kislev/December 5

5 Kislev

In 5258/1497, the Jews were expelled from Portugal by order of King Manuel I. (The actual decree of expulsion was announced earlier, but the grace period ended on this date.)

Yahrtzeiten

5392/1632, Harav Shmuel Eliezer Eidels, zt”l, the Maharsha

5616/1855, Harav David Luria of Bichov, zt”l, the Chiddushei Haradal

5634/1873, Harav Asher Anshel Halevi Jungreis, zt”l, mechaber of Menuchas Asher

5659/1898, Harav Yonasan Aleishberg, zt”l, mechaber of Darchei Horaah

5700/1939, Harav Baruch Ber Leibowitz, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Kamenitz, zt”l, and mechaber of Birkas Shmuel.

5646/1885

Harav Yaakov Yehudah Tennenbaum of Nadrezin, zt”l

Harav Yaakov Yehudah Tennenbaum was the son of Rav Nosson Nota, a respected Vorka Chassid from Warsaw.

In his younger years, Reb Yaakov Yehudah traveled to the court of Reb Yitzchak of Vorka, the founder of the Vorka dynasty, and was counted among the most devoted Chassidim there. He was also known as an outstanding lamdan.

When he reached the age of shidduchim he received many offers; but ultimately, he married the daughter of his Rebbe, Harav Menachem Mendel of Vorka.

After the petirah of his Rebbe and father-in-law, Reb Yaakov Yehudah traveled to the court of Reb Dov Berish of Biale. Following the petirah of Reb Dov Ber, on 25 Sivan 5636/1876, Reb Yaakov Yehudah was appointed Rebbe in Nadrezin.

Reb Yaakov Yehudah often advised that everyone should accept upon himself one mitzvas aseh and one mitzvas lo saaseh to fulfill with all their respective chumros. The mitzvos that Reb Yaakov Yehudah accepted upon himself were tzedakah and bassar v’chalav.

Reb Yaakov Yehudah was remarkable in that he would distribute to tzedakah vast sums of money that could not in any normal way reach such a small town as Nadrezin.

About his stringencies in the mitzvah of bassar v’chalav, it is related that Reb Yaakov Yehudah had different sets of clothing for eating milchigs and for eating fleishigs. He would also wait 24 hours between eating meat and milk. Another chumrah that he had was that a bottle that was used at the table while eating milchig foods was not used while eating meat. All his chumros were based on the Shulchan Aruch.

Reb Yaakov Yehudah was close with many of the Rebbes of his generation. His brother-in-law Rav Shimon of Skrenowitz attested that he had seen many tzaddikim, but the likes of Reb Yaakov Yehudah he never saw.

In his later years, Reb Yaakov Yehudah became very weak and was niftar on 5 Kislev 5646/1885 after a short illness. He was succeeded by his son Reb Chaim.

The divrei Torah of Reb Yaakov Yehudah, Yashresh Yaakov, were printed as an appendix to Maggid Dvarav L’Yaakov, the divrei Torah of his Rebbe, Reb Dov Ber of Biale.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Dec. 5

In 1945, five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers mysteriously disappeared after taking off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a training mission, with the loss of all 14 crew members. “The Lost Squadron” contributed to the legend of the Bermuda Triangle.

In 1955, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO under its first president, George Meany.

In 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union announced a bilateral space agreement on exchanging weather data from satellites, mapping Earth’s geomagnetic field and cooperating in the experimental relay of communications.