This Day in History – 6 Teves/December 14

6 Teves

Yahrtzeiten

5493/1732, Harav Yaakov Reisher, zt”l, mechaber of Chok Yaakov and Shvus Yaakov

5646/1885, Harav Mattisyahu Shtrassen of Vilna, zt”l, son of the Rashash

5659/1898, Harav Yecheskel Shraga Halberstam, Rebbe of Shinova, zy”a

5680/1919, Harav Chaim Shlomo of Kosson, zy”a

5715/1954, Harav Chaim Maidanek, zt”l, Rav in Chicago and mechaber of Mazkeres Chaim and Hegyonei Chaim

5693/1933

Harav Alter Yisrael Shimon Perlow, Rebbe of Novominsk, Zy”a, mechaber of Tiferes Ish

Harav Alter Yisrael Shimon Perlow was born in Novominsk in 5634/1874 to Harav Yaakov, a descendant of the Neshchiz dynasty. He married the daughter of Harav Baruch Meir Twersky of Azarnitz, zy”a, a scion of the Tchernobler dynasty.

Rav Alter was renowned for his hasmadah in learning and for his phenomenal memory. Not long after his wedding, he was appointed by his father as Menahel of the yeshivah that he had founded. The yeshivah had nearly 200 talmidim.

During the last two years of his father’s life, Rav Alter was by his side and tended to him continuously, writing down all his divrei Torah. After the petirah of his father, on 23 Adar 5662/1902, Rav Alter was appointed Rebbe in Novominsk.

He davened with great zeal. On the Yamim Nora’im, Rav Alter was the baal tefillah for all the tefillos.

He was accustomed to fast quite often, in addition to his other ascetic ways.

Known for his ahavas Yisrael, he never reprimanded a fellow Jew. He was also active in communal work.

Rav Alter was close with many of the generation’s Rebbes. Notable was his connection with the Imrei Emes of Ger, zy”a, and the Yismach Yisrael of Alexander, zy”a.

During World War I, Rav Alter moved from Novominsk to Warsaw and he remained there when the war was over. He was niftar on 6 Teves 5693/1933. After his petirah, his work on the Haggadah shel Pesach, Tiferes Ish, was published, followed by Tiferes Ish on the Yamim Tovim.

Rav Alter had many children. His sons were Harav Nachum Mordechai of Novominsk-New York, zy”a; Harav Yosef, Hy”d, who replaced him as Rebbe in Warsaw; Harav Dovid; Harav Aharon; and Harav Yaakov.

His daughters were Shifrah, who married Harav Avraham Yitzchak Twersky of London; Yenta, who married Harav Leib Sefard of Kiniev; Devorah who married Harav Eliezer Eichenstein; Nechamah, who married Harav Yoel Teitelbaum; and Sarah, who married Harav Moshe Eichenstein.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Dec. 14

In 1819, Alabama joined the Union as the 22nd state.

In 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team became the first men to reach the South Pole, beating out a British expedition led by Robert F. Scott.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson vetoed an immigration measure aimed at preventing “undesirables” and anyone born in the “Asiatic Barred Zone” from entering the U.S. (Congress overrode Wilson’s veto in Feb. 1917.)

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, ruled that Congress was within its authority to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against racial discrimination by private businesses (in this case, a motel that refused to cater to blacks).

In 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan concluded their third and final moonwalk and blasted off for their rendezvous with the command module.