This Day In History 5 Sivan/May 30

In 2449/1312 B.C.E., Moshe Rabbeinu erected 12 mizbechos and made a bris with the Jewish people at the foot of Har Sinai at which they declared, “All that Hashem has spoken, we shall do and hear” (Shemos 24:7), pledging to “do” (naaseh) before they “hear” (nishma).

In 5488/1728, the brothers Chaim and Yehoshua Reizes of Lemberg, Hy”d — charged with bringing an apostate back to Judaism — were tortured and executed.

In 5544/1784, the Jews of Warsaw and its environs were expelled.

Yahrtzeiten

5560/1800, Harav Zev Wolf of Zhitomir, the Ohr Hameir, zt”l. Some say he was niftar on 15 Adar; however, according to a witness, his petirah was on Erev Shavuos.

5623/1863, Harav Gershon Ashkenazi, zt”l, mechaber of Avodas Hagershuni

5638/1878, Harav Eliyahu Eichenstein of Ziditchoiv, Zy”a

Harav Eliyahu Eichenstein, born in 5597/1837, was a talmid of his father, Harav Yitzchak Eizik of Ziditchoiv.

Reb Eliyahu married the daughter of Harav Yehudah Leibish Erblich of Rozdohl, who was the son-in-law of Harav Tzvi Hirsh of Rimanov.

As his father’s “right-hand man,” Reb Eliyahu was in charge of the court in Ziditchoiv.

When his father was niftar on 9 Sivan 5633/1873, Reb Eliyahu delivered a fiery hesped which surprised and impressed the people, since he was not yet known as a speaker.

Most of the Chassidim accepted Reb Eliyahu as their new Rebbe, and he stayed on in Ziditchoiv. Reb Eliyahu suffered much persecution as Rebbe, but withstood it all.

In 5638/1878, returning from a visit to Dolina, Reb Eliyahu took ill. He was rushed to Lvov to seek medical help, but to no avail. On Erev Shavuos, 5 Sivan 5638/1878, at age 41, Reb Eliyahu was niftar.

In his tzavaah he requested that his Chassidim follow his brother, Harav Yissachar Berish.

Some of his divrei Torah were written down by his talmidim and published as Zichron Eliyahu.

Reb Eliyahu’s sons-in-law were Harav Moshe, who served as Rav in Ziditchoiv, and Harav Asher Rubin of Kratshin.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

May 30

In 1883, 12 people were trampled to death in a stampede sparked by a rumor that the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge was in danger of collapsing.

In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in a ceremony attended by President Warren G. Harding, Chief Justice William Howard Taft and Robert Todd Lincoln.

In 2002, a solemn, wordless ceremony marked the end of the agonizing cleanup at ground zero in New York, 8 1/2 months after 9/11.