This Day in History – 5 Tishrei/September 14

5 Tishrei

In 3884, the Tanna Rabi Akiva was arrested by the Romans. He was subsequently tortured and killed al kiddush Hashem on Yom Kippur. The story of his death, along with that of the other nine Harugei Malchus, is related in the stirring piyut Eleh Ezkerah, recited during the Yom Kippur davening.
A taanis tzaddikim was established to commemorate this event, as well as the killing of 20 Jews during that time. (Shulchan Aruch 180:2)

Yahrtzeiten

5406/1645, Harav Naftali Katz of Lublin, zt”l.

5592/1831, Harav Eliezer Brish, zt”l, Rav of Kutna

5668/1907, Harav Mordechai Schneerson of Vitebsk, zt”l.

5713/1952, Harav Menachem Pollak zt”l, Rav of Szerencz, Hungary, mechaber of Chelek Levi and Iyun Menachem.

5752/1991

Harav Baruch Shalom Ashlag, zt”l

Harav Baruch Shalom Halevi Ashlag was born in Warsaw on 4 Shevat 5667/1907. He was the oldest son of the famed Harav Yehudah Leib, zt”l, author of the Sulam commentary on the Zohar.

Rav Baruch Shalom began learning Kabbalah together with his father’s select talmidim at the tender age of 9. He also joined his father on his trips to the Porisover Rebbe.

In 5681/1921, Rav Baruch Shalom immigrated with his family to Eretz Yisrael. The family settled in the Old City in Yerushalayim and the boy learned at the Lubavitcher Yeshivas Toras Emes.

Although Rav Baruch Shalom received semichah (before he reached the age of 20), he did not want to use the knowledge of Torah he had acquired to make a living. For most of his life he concealed his greatness, behaving like a simple worker.

When Rav Baruch Shalom grew older he became his father’s prime talmid. He joined his father on his trips, did his father’s errands and provided for his father’s every need.

He often learned with his father in private, writing down in his personal notebook thousands of notes on the Baal HaSulam’s ideas concerning the spiritual work an individual must do.

Rav Baruch Shalom learned Kabbalah with his father for more than 30 years. When his father fell ill, he appointed Rav Baruch Shalom to give shiurim to his talmidim in his place.

After the petirah of Baal HaSulam on Yom Kippur 5715/1954, Reb Baruch Shalom took his place as the leader of the Ashlag Chassidim, and dedicated his life to perpetuating his father’s unique derech, to interpreting and expanding on his father’s writings, and to disseminating Kabbalah.

Rav Baruch Shalom did not want to become known to the public as a Kabbalist; hence, like his father, he declined offers of official positions.

More than a decade after the petirah of his father, though, he began teaching Kabbalah in broader circles.

In 5736/1976 he expanded his home in Bnei Brak, which became a shul.

From 5744/1984 to his last day, he wrote a weekly article and gave it to his talmidim. His talmidim published the essays in a five-volume publication called Shlavei HaSulam.

Rav Baruch Shalom was niftar on 5 Tishrei 5752/1991, and buried in Yerushalayim.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.

Sept. 14

In 1814, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem “Defence of Fort McHenry” (later “The Star-Spangled Banner”) after witnessing the American flag flying over the Maryland fort following a night of British naval bombardment during the War of 1812.

In 1940, the Selective Service Act was passed by Congress, providing the first peacetime draft in the United States.

In 1959, the Soviet space probe Luna 2 became the first man-made object to reach the moon as it crashed onto the lunar surface.

In 1960, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded. The core members were Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.