This Day in History – December 10/12 Kislev

Yahrtzeiten

5334/1573, Harav Shlomo Luria, zt”l, the Maharshal of Lublin,

5517/1756, Harav Yitzchak Shmuel Lampronti, zt”l, mechaber of Pachad Yitzchak

5657/1896, Harav Naftali Schwartz , Rav of Mahd, zt”l

5665/1904, Harav Chaim Leibush Horowitz of Cracow, zt”l

5754/1993, Harav Yehoshua Moshe Aaronson, zt”l, Rav in Petach Tikva and mechaber of Yeshuas Moshe and Alei Meroros

5601/1840, Harav Avraham Dov Auerbach of Avritch, the Bas Ayin, Zy”a

Harav Avraham Dov Auerbach was born in 5525/1765 in the Ukrainian town of Chmielnik. He became a talmid of Harav Nachum of Chernobyl, zy”a, whom he considered to be the main influence in his life.

He was the son-in-law of Rav Nassan Nota, zt”l, the Rav of Avritch. After his father-in-law’s petirah, he became the Rav of Avritch, and he served in that capacity for 40 years.

Finally, in either the year 5590/1830 or 5591/1831, at the advanced age of 70, Rav Avraham Dov decided that the best way to further his spiritual advancement was to begin life anew in Eretz Yisrael. After his arrival he became the leader of the Chassidim in Tzfas. Rav Avraham Dov was revered by the local Arabs as a holy man.

On 24 Teves 5597/1837, an earthquake struck between Minchah and Maariv when Rav Avraham Dov was in his beis medrash. He shouted to everyone present to stand close to the aron hakodesh, promising that if they did so they would be saved. A moment later the ceiling fell in — except for the place where Rav Avraham Dov had warned everyone to take shelter. In gratitude, a seudas hoda’ah took place at that spot every year.

A year later, on the earthquake’s first anniversary, Rav Avraham Dov announced that no earthquake would ever shake Tzfas again.

In 5601/1840 a terrible plague broke out in Tzfas. When Rav Avraham Dov fell ill, he announced that his petirah would be atonement for the town; he would be the plague’s last victim.

Rav Avraham Dov was niftar on 12 Kislev 5601/1840 and, as he had predicted, the plague stopped immediately.

Although Rav Avraham Dov wrote his famous sefer, Bas Ayin, while he was still in Europe, he refused to print it until it was exposed to and refined by the air of the Holy Land. This sefer is built on the tenets of Chassidus as taught by the Chernobyl dynasty, and is considered a basic Chassidic work.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Dec. 10

In 1817, Mississippi was admitted as the 20th state.

In 1869, women were granted the right to vote in the Wyoming Territory.

In 1898, a treaty was signed in Paris officially ending the Spanish-American War.

In 1948, the U.N. General Assembly adopted its Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

In 1958, the first domestic passenger jet flight took place in the U.S. as a National Airlines Boeing 707 flew 111 passengers from New York to Miami in about 2 1/2 hours.

In 1964, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize during ceremonies in Oslo, Norway.