This Day in History – 10 Adar/February 20

10 Adar

In 5109/1349, mobs rioted during the Black Death epidemic and massacred Jews in the town of Freiburg, Germany.

In 5609/1849, Jews of the Austrian Empire were granted equal civil and political rights.

Yahrtzeiten

5423/1663, Harav Pinchas of Voldova, zt”l, mechaber of Bris Shalom

5627/1867, Harav Yosef Baruch Epstein, zt”l, Der Gutter Yid of Neustadt, son of the Maor V’shemesh

5666/1906, Harav Alexander Moshe Lapidus, zt”l, talmid of Harav Yisrael Salanter

5453/1693

Harav Gershon Ashkenazi, zt”l, the Avodas Hagershuni

Harav Gershon ben Harav Yitzchak was born c. 5078/1618, in the town of Holtz (Ulf), Germany.

Reb Gershon learned in the prestigious yeshivah of Harav Yoel Sirkes, the Bach, in Cracow, Poland. Among the talmidim of that yeshivah were the Taz, the Tzemach Tzedek and the Ateres Zekeinim, among others.

In addition, he was a talmid of Harav Yehoshua, the Maginei Shlomo, who also led a prominent yeshivah in Cracow. After the Bach’s petirah, Rav Gershon’s attachment to the Maginei Shlomo grew stronger, and for many years he would consult him in matters of halachah. He would also often consult the revered Rebbe Reb Heshel of Cracow .

Rav Gershon married the daughter of Reb Yehudah Leib Foss, a wealthy and prominent member of the Cracow community. Reb Leib supported Rav Gershon graciously, while he devoted all his time and energy to learning. Sadly, his Rebbetzin passed away at a young age, on 18 Shevat 5409/1649, and left behind a number of orphans.

Rav Gershon then married the daughter of Harav Menachem Mendel Krochmal, the aforementioned Tzemach Tzedek, who was Rav in Nikolsburg. Rav Gershon had had a close relationship with the Tzemach Tzedek beforehand, but now their friendship grew even stronger. Unfortunately, Rav Gershon’s new Rebbetzin passed away five years later, on 14 Nissan 5414 (1654). After her petirah, Rav Gershon continued to address the Tzemach Tzedek as his father-in-law and they remained close.

Rav Gershon married again, and his Rebbetzin, Rebbetzin Raizel, merited long life, outliving her husband by 30 years.

Several kehillos were privileged to have Harav Gershon as their Rav. At a relatively young age he was selected to serve as a Dayan in Cracow. Several years later, circa 5410/1650, he was asked to serve the kehillah of Prossnitz, Moravia. During that period he developed a close relationship with the Shach. (The Shach fled the massacres of Tach V’tat [5408–09/1648–49], and was at that time Rav in nearby Helishoi.)

Subsequent to that he became Rav in Hanau, Germany. With the petirah of his father-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek in 5421/1661, he was called upon to serve as Rav in Nikolsburg, Moravia; after a year he also served as Rav of the entire country of Moravia (Mehrin). Eventually he became Rav of Vienna, where he served as the principal Rav of Austria.

When the Jews of Vienna were expelled in 5430/1670 by Emperor Leopold, Harav Gershon fled with his flock. Within a short time he was asked to accept the Rabbanus position in Metz (then part of France). There he continued to disseminate Torah by teaching, guiding and writing his teshuvos. He remained there until his petirah.

Harav Gershon taught Torah with utmost devotion for over 40 years. He had thousands of talmidim, many of whom went on to become great leaders and Rabbanim of Klal Yisrael. One of his prime talmidim was Harav David Oppenheim.

Reb Gershon was of towering stature in gadlus and kedushah.  In his later years he hired a talmid chacham to be with him 24 hours a day to make sure he did not even inadvertently violate the minutest dikduk in halachah — and to stop him immediately if he erred.

After his petirah, the Jews of Metz observed an entire year of mourning in which they refrained from listening to music even at chasunos.

His sefarim are She’eilos U’teshuvos Avodas Hagershuni, Tiferes Hegershuni al HaTorah and Drashos.

Zechuso yagein aleinu

February 20

In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the U.S. Post Office.

In 1809, the Supreme Court ruled that no state legislature could annul the judgments or determine the jurisdictions of federal courts.

In 1839, Congress prohibited dueling in the District of Columbia.

In 1862, William Wallace Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of President Abraham Lincoln and first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, died at the White House, apparently of typhoid fever.

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded “idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons” from being admitted to the United States.

In 1933, Congress proposed the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to repeal Prohibition.

In 1938, Anthony Eden resigned as British foreign secretary following Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s decision to negotiate with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. bombers began raiding German aircraft manufacturing centers in a series of attacks that became known as “Big Week.”

In 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft.

In 1965, the Ranger 8 spacecraft crashed on the moon, as planned, after sending back thousands of pictures of the lunar surface.