This Day in History – 6 Cheshvan/October 15

6 Cheshvan

In 3340, Nevuchadnetzar killed King Tzidkiyahu’s sons before his eyes, subsequently blinding him. (See Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 580:2)

In 4926/1165, the Rambam arrived in Yerushalayim; he celebrated his arrival as a private yom tov.

5461/1700, Rabbeinu Yehuda HaChassid built his shul in the old city of Yerushalayim.

Yahrtzeiten

5202/1441, Harav Shmuel Chaim, zt”l, mechaber of Shemen Hamishchah

5564/1803, Harav Yitzchak Eliyahu of Tismenitz, zt”l

5749/1988, Harav Yechiel Menachem Singer, zy”a, Rebbe of Alexander-America


5704/1943

Harav Shlomo Dovid Yehoshua Weinberg, Hy”d, the Slonimer Rebbe

The shaar blatt of Zichron Kadosh, a collection of his divrei Torah and biographical information, published in 5745/1985.

Harav Shlomo Dovid Yeshoshua was born on 18 Shevat 5673/1913. His father was Harav Avraham of Slonim-Baranovitz, the Beis Avraham, zy”a.

Rav Shlomo Dovid Yehoshua became the son-in-law of Harav Yitzchak Menachem of Alexander, zy”a, and after he married he lived in Alexander for a while. When his father, Rav Avraham, was niftar in 5693/1933, the Chassidim asked Rav Shlomo Dovid Yehoshua to become their Rebbe, though he was just 21 years old.

Harav Avraham Weinberg, zy”a, who later became the Slonimer Rebbe, personally traveled from Eretz Yisrael to Europe to crown the new Rebbe.

In addition to serving as Rebbe, he also headed the Slonimer Yeshiva, Yeshivas Toras Chessed, with its hundreds of talmidim.

The Rebbe, lovingly referred to as “der yinger Rebbe,” was well-known and venerated in all circles.

When WWII broke out, the Rebbe managed to conceal his identity for a while, while at the same time maintaining his external appearance in the ghetto.

When the ghetto was liquidated, the Rebbe was transferred together with the other ghetto residents, to the Kadlitzova concentration camp. In the concentration camp he was determined to continue his avodas Hashem.

Accompanied by 80 Yidden, the Rebbe was killed al kiddush Hashem.

Yehi zichro baruch.


Oct. 15

In 1783, the first manned balloon flight took place in Paris. Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier ascended in a basket attached to a tethered Montgolfier hot-air balloon, rising to about 75 feet.

In 1860, 11-year-old Grace Bedell of Westfield, N.Y., wrote a letter to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he could improve his appearance by growing a beard.

In 1914, the Clayton Antitrust Act, which expanded on the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson.

In 1928, the German dirigible Graf Zeppelin landed in Lakehurst, N.J., completing its first commercial flight across the Atlantic.

In 1997, British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green twice drove a jet-powered car in the Nevada desert faster than the speed of sound, officially shattering the world’s land-speed record.

Also that year, NASA’s plutonium-powered Cassini spacecraft rocketed flawlessly toward Saturn.

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