This Day in History – 18 Av/August 3

In 5689/1929, Arabs rampaged throughout Eretz Yisrael killing 133 Jews and injuring and maiming hundreds of others, most of them in a massacre in Yeshivas Chevron. Hy”d. They also burned down many homes, and burned and damaged sifrei Torah and tashmishei kedushah. The remaining Jews fled to Yerushalayim. The Kaf Hachaim records that if not for rachamei Shamayim theArabs would have killed all the Jews in Israel.


 

Yahrtzeits

5532/1772, Harav Chaim Refael Asher, the Rishon Letziyon of Yerushalayim, Rosh Yeshivas Yefaer Anavim.

5645/1885, Harav Avraham Korkidi, author of Vayikach Avraham.

5689/1929, Harav Avraham Chazon, Rav of Chevron, Hy”d.

5757/1997, Harav Dov Ber Elazerov, Rav of Katamon, Yerushalayim.


 

5702/1942, Harav Shlomo Chanoch Rabinowitz, the Radomsker Rebbe, Hy”d, His son-in-law, Harav Moshe Dovid Rabinowitz, Hy”d

Harav Shlomo Chanoch was born in 5652/1892. His father was Harav Yecheskel, the Knesses Yechezkel of Radomsk.

During his early years he was primarily a talmid of Harav Efraim Tzvi Einhorn, Rav of Amstov.

After his chasunah to his cousin, the daughter of Harav Moshe Elimelech, son of the Chessed L’Avraham, he supported himself through trade, in which he was extremely successful.

His father, the Knesses Yecheskel, was niftar in 5671/1911, leaving Rav Shlomo Chanoch to assume leadership of the thriving Chassidus of Radomsk when he was only 29 years old. Initially, Rav Shlomo refused to accept the admorus, but after he traveled to Harav Yissochor Dov of Belz and Harav Yisrael of Chortkov, they convinced him to change his mind.

After WWI, which the Rebbe spent in Germany, he moved to Sosnowiecz, where he continued leading his chassidim until WWII.

Beginning in 5687/1927, the Rebbe founded many yeshivos, known as the Yeshivah Kesser Torah network, that provided a sheltered environment in which chassidim could achieve high levels of Torah and avodas Hashem.

The yeshivos were headed by his only son-in-law, Harav Moshe Dovid Rabinowitz (who was also his first cousin). Rav Moshe Dovid was a gaon and masmid and, like his father-in-law, strikingly humble. He administered the curriculum, hired Roshei Yeshivah and ensured that life in the yeshivos flowed smoothly.

Before WWII broke out, there were over 40 Radomsker yeshivos scattered over Poland and Galicia, infusing youth with a high level of Torah.

The Rebbe financed the yeshivos by himself, and kept the Chassidus and his yeshivos far from the limelight.

When WWII broke out the Rebbe was in Krenitz, near the Carpathian Mountains, for health reasons. Returning to Poland, he arrived in Lodz and refused to escape despite being offered the opportunity.

On Chanukah of 5700/1939, the Rebbe was transferred to the Warsaw Ghetto, where he continued to conduct tischen and lead his chassidim under the most dire of conditions. Again, the Rebbe refused to leave his chassidim, choosing to remain with his flock until the very end.

On 18 Av, a brigade of Nazis broke into the building at Novolifki 30 and killed 150 people, among them the Rebbe, his Rebbetzin, his daughter, and his son-in-law, Reb Moshe’le. He was brought to kevurah in the Warsaw cemetery. The kever was rebuilt in 5747/1987 by Harav Yecheskel Besser, z”l.

Some of his divrei Torah were published in Birchas Shlomo, a sefer that includes chiddushim of his son-in-law.

Hashem yinkom damam.


 

August 3

In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on a voyage that took him to the present-day Americas.

In 1914, Germany declared war on France at the onset of World War I.

In 1958, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the North Pole underwater.

In 1972, the U.S. Senate ratified the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. (The U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the treaty in 2002.)

In 1981, U.S. air traffic controllers went on strike, despite a warning from President Ronald Reagan that they would be fired, which they were.

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