This Day in History – April 27/3 Iyar

3 Iyar

Yahrtzeiten

5505/1745, Harav Leib Pistiner of Kalmai, zt”l, a talmid of the Besht.

5539/1779, Harav Dov Ber of Zamutch, zt”l

5685/1925, Harav Yeshaya Steiner of Kerestir, zy”a


5593/1833

Harav Aryeh Leib Tzintz
(Eibishitz) of Plotzk, Zy”a

Harav Aryeh Leib, also known as Reb Leibush Charif, was born in Pintchov in the year 5525/1765. His father was Harav Moshe Eibishitz, zt”l, a nephew of Rav Yonasan, zt”l, the Urim Vetumim. From his tender youth he was recognized as extremely gifted. In his early twenties, he wrote a complex chibbur on Maseches Kesubos titled Ayeles Ahuvim, but since he had no financial capabilities he was forced to shorten it, and even then it took two more years until it was finally published under the name Ya’alas Chein.

Reb Leibush Charif moved to Prague and was very close to the Noda B’Yehudah. Subsequently, he moved to Pressburg, where he began to respond to the numerous she’eilos that came his way.

He became Rav of Plotzk, Poland. He led the city with nobility and strength, with logic and wisdom. His piskei halachah were revered by all, and he succeeded in freeing agunos so they could remarry.

Later he became Rav in Tchechenov, and after two years he settled in Warsaw, to fulfill his desire to learn in peace and serenity, without the yoke of leadership. During that time, his Rebbetzin ran a shop to support the family. Later yet, he again assumed a rabbanus in the town of Praga, just outside of Warsaw, and after a while he returned to Warsaw, where he lived until his petirah on 3 Iyar.

Rav Aryeh Leib was also an extremely holy person and many who sought his blessing and counsel were helped. Once, a severely ill person was brought to him. He hastily opened a gemara, sat down and learned. After a while he declared, “In the zechus of resolving Tosafos’ difficulty with the Gemara, may this choleh have a refuah sheleimah.” Indeed, his tefillos were not in vain.

The Rav authored close to 30 chibburim, among them Get Mekushar; Melo Haomer; She’eilos Uteshuvos Meshivas Nefesh and more.

On his deathbed he wrote on a paper in the presence of his greatest talmidim, “Whoever will make efforts to print my sefarim, I will be an advocate for him in Olam HaElyon.” He asked for this lashon to be engraved on his matzeivah. A close talmid asked how he could promise such a thing. He replied, “A shopkeeper does not hang a sign on the door about something he does not possess!” Indeed, it became a well-known segulah for people seeking a yeshuah to print his sefarim.

Due to interest in this segulah, a special organization (Mechon Maharal Tzintz) was formed to print these sefarim in an enhanced format.


April 27

In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by natives in the Philippines.

In 1791, the inventor of the telegraph, Samuel Morse, was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

In 1950, Britain formally recognized the state of Israel.

In 1965, broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow died in Pawling, New York, two days after turning 57.

In 1982, the trial of John W. Hinckley Jr., who shot four people, including President Ronald Reagan, began in Washington. (The trial ended with Hinckley’s acquittal by reason of insanity.)

In 1992, the new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed in Belgrade by the republic of Serbia and its lone ally, Montenegro.

In 1994, former President Richard M. Nixon was remembered at an outdoor funeral service attended by all five of his successors at the Nixon presidential library in Yorba Linda, California.

In 2019, John Earnest opened fire inside a synagogue near San Diego as worshippers celebrated the last day of Pesach, killing a woman and wounding the rabbi and two others.

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