This Day in History – February 10/28 Shevat

In 3598, Antiochus V (successor to Antiochus of the Chanukah nes; this incident occurred about a year after Chanukah) abandoned his siege of Yerushalayim and his plans for the city’s destruction were annulled.

During the siege the Jews suffered greatly, unable to move around freely except at night.

Antiochus left for home in response to ill tidings; he was killed soon afterwards. The day is observed as a Yom Tov, as cited in Megillas Taanis.

In 4950/1190, the Jews of Norwich, England, were massacred. Hy”d.

Yahrtzeiten

5572/1812, Harav David Zinzheim, zt”l, mechaber of Yad David

5633/1873, Harav Aryeh Leib Nathanson of Berzhan, zt”l, mechaber of Beis Kel

5696/1936, Harav Menachem Nachum, Rebbe of Rachmastrivka, zt”l

5739/1979, Harav Mordechai Goldman of Zhvill, Zy”a

Harav Mordechai Goldman was born in Zhvill, Volhynia, in present-day Ukraine, on 11 Cheshvan 5666/1905. His father, Harav Gedaliah Moshe, zy”a, was the son of the famous Harav Shloime (Shlomke) of Zhvill, zy”a.

In 5685/1925, Rav Mordechai went to learn in Eretz Yisrael in Yeshivas Sfas Emes in Yerushalayim.

He married the daughter of Harav Shmuel Mordechai of Neshchiz.

Rav Mordechai’s father, Harav Gedaliah Moshe, zy”a, came to Eretz Yisrael in 5697/1937, after many years of exile in Siberia. Following the petirah of Rav Shloime in 5705/1945, Rav Gedaliah Moshe was named Rebbe, a post he held until his petirah four years later (5709/1948), upon which Rav Mordechai was appointed Rebbe in his father’s stead.

Rav Mordechai had a unique hanhagah: Unlike most Rebbes and Rabbanim, he had no set time for receiving petitioners — his door was always open. He also had no gabbai or attendant; in his humility, he tended to his own needs.

Rav Mordechai was niftar on 28 Shevat 5739/1979, at the age of 74, and buried on Har Hazeisim.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Feb. 10

In 1763, Britain, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years’ War, also known as the French and Indian War, in North America.

In 1936, Nazi Germany’s Reichstag passed a law investing the Gestapo secret police with absolute authority, exempt from any legal review.

In 1967, the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, dealing with presidential disability and succession, was ratified.

In 2005, North Korea boasted publicly for the first time that it possessed nuclear weapons.

In 2006, Dr. Norman Shumway, who performed the first successful U.S. heart transplant, died in Palo Alto, California, at age 83.