This Day in History – September 16/27 Elul

Third day of Creation: Hashem created the seas, the grass and the trees. This is the only day in which the Torah states twice “and Hashem saw that it was good.” Therefore, many tzaddikim referred to Tuesday as the “yom shehuchpal bo ki tov” — the day in which “it is good” is doubled.

In 5374/1614, the Jews of Frankfurt-am-Main were expelled; a taanis tzibbur was instituted to commemorate the expulsion.

In 5497/1737, the Jews of New York were barred from voting.

Yahrtzeiten

5479/1719, Harav Moshe Segal of Lvov, zt”l. He was known as “Rosh HaGola Umanhig Ha’medina.”

5593/1833, Harav Yaakov Leib, Rav of Kvahl, zt”l

5615/1855, Harav Shalom, Rebbe of Belz, zt”l, known as the Sar Shalom, founder of the Belz dynasty

5560/1800, Harav Nosson Hakohen Adler of Frankfurt, zt”l

Known as the Nesher Hagadol (“The Great Eagle”) Harav Nosson Adler (“eagle” in German) was born in 5502/1742, in Frankfurt-am-Main. His father was Harav Yaakov Shimon Hakohen, zt”l, a disciple of the Pnei Yehoshua.

Reb Nosson at the age of six was famous as a wonder child. From his youth, he immersed himself exclusively in the four cubits of Torah and halachah. He never spent time in idle talk; rather, he utilized every moment in serving his Creator. The Chida writes about him that from the age of nine his heart never strayed to mundane matters! This statement was so unique that it is recorded on Rav Nosson’s matzeivah.

He married the daughter of Harav Dovid Strauss, zt”l, Rav of Piroda.

Rav Nosson studied Torah under leading Gedolim, among them Harav Avraham Abish of Frankfurt, the Birchas Avraham; Harav Yaakov Shimon, a talmid of the Pnei Yehoshua; and Harav Dovid Tebeli Schiff, Rav of London, zecher tzaddik livrachah.

Rav Nosson’s home was always open to anyone.

His Rebbetzin operated a business through which she supported the family and enabled her great husband to sit and learn. In 5542/1782 he became Rav in Boskowitz, but after four years he returned to Frankfurt.

Rav Nosson suffered much persecution, both in his hometown of Frankfurt and after becoming Rav in Boskowitz. In those times the haskalah movement reared its ugly head, and Rav Nosson as well as his talmidim fought them vehemently.

Among his disciples was the famed Chasam Sofer. The Chasam Sofer was devoted to his Rebbi to such an extent that when Rav Nosson was niftar, the Chasam Sofer found out about it in a dream in which he envisioned a sefer Torah draped in black.

Rav Nosson never recorded any chiddushim, claiming that writing Torah shebe’al peh is only permitted because of forgetfulness, and since he never forgot one word he learned he was not allowed to record his chiddushim.

Rav Nosson was a kohen meyuchas, a descendant of the Yalkut Shimoni, and he performed Birchas Kohanim every day in his beis medrash. He attested that when the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt he will perform the avodah. He was niftar on 27 Elul 5560.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah

Sept. 16

In 1630, the Massachusetts village of Shawmut changed its name to Boston.

In 1810, Mexico began its revolt against Spanish rule.

In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam war deserters and draft-evaders.

In 1987, two dozen countries signed the Montreal Protocol, a treaty designed to save the Earth’s ozone layer by calling on nations to reduce emissions of harmful chemicals by the year 2000.

In 1994, a federal jury in Anchorage, Alaska, ordered Exxon Corp. to pay $5 billion in punitive damages for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill (the U.S Supreme Court later reduced that amount to $507.5 million). Two astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery went on the first untethered spacewalk in ten years.

In 1994, two astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery went on the first untethered spacewalk in 10 years.

In 2001, President George W. Bush, speaking on the South Lawn of the White House, said there was “no question” Osama bin Laden and his followers were the prime suspects in the Sept. 11 attacks.