This Day in History – 19 Adar/March 10

19 Adar

In 5700/1940, the Arab restriction of the sale of land to Jews in Eretz Yisrael took effect.

In 5709/1949, the Jewish army captured Ein Gedi and the war of 1948 was brought to an end.

Yahrtzeiten

5640/1880, Harav Yaakov Shamshon of Kossov, zt”l

5680/1920, Harav Yehudah Greenwald of Satmar, zt”l

5688/1928, Harav Meir Yechiel of Ostrovtze, zt”l

5692/1932, Harav Shmuel Engel of Radomishel, zt”l, mechaber of She’eilos U’teshuvos Maharash (Adar I)

5692/1932, Harav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zt”l (Adar II)

5699/1939, Harav Emanuel Weltfried of Pabianetz-Lodz, zt”l

5753/1993, Harav Yitzchak Kalisch, zt”l, Amshinover Rebbe of America

5763/2003, Harav Yaakov Chaim Yoffen, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah of Beis Yosef Novaradok

 5634/1874

Harav Dovid Spira, zy”a, the Tzemach Dovid of Dinov

Harav Dovid Spira, the son of Harav Tzvi Elimelech (the Bnei Yissaschar) of Dinov, was born in 5564/1804. The Bnei Yissaschar attested the neshamah of his son was from olam ha’atzilus.

The Bnei Yissaschar named his son after the famous Reb Dovid of Lizhensk, a devoted Chassid of the Rebbe Reb Elimelech. When he was sick at one time, his father added the letter yud to his name (Dovid is spelled with a yud at times in Nach), basing this segulah on the Gemara (Brachos 5b) that relates that when Rabi Chiya bar Abba was sick, Rabi Yochanan came and gave him “yudo,” his hand, and he became well.

Following the petirah of his father in 5601/1841, Reb Dovid was appointed Rebbe in Dinov.

He was known as a kadosh and a poel yeshuos. Many Chassidim flocked to him for his sage advice and brachos.

Reb Dovid was close with many of the generation’s Rebbes, most notably the Divrei Chaim of Sanz and the Sar Shalom of Belz, who later became his mechutan. Reb Dovid would also travel to Harav Yisrael of Ruzhin.

About a year before his petirah, Reb Dovid was greatly weakened.

The Shabbos before Reb Dovid was niftar, Harav Moshe of Rozvadov sang Eishes Chayil at his tisch to a Dinover niggun, explaining he was trying to bring a yeshuah for Reb Dovid through this, but the decree was sealed.

Reb Dovid was niftar on 19 Adar 5634/1874 at the age of 70.

His sons were Harav Yeshayahu Naftali Hertz, mechaber of Hanosen Imrei Shefer, who succeeded his father in Dinov; Harav Tzvi Elimelech, the Tzvi Latzaddik of Bluzhev; and Harav Meir Yehudah, the Ohr Lameir of Bukovsk.

His sons-in-law were Harav Yehudah Rokeach, grandson of the Sar Shalom of Belz; Harav Mendel Maryles of Dubetsk, grandson of Harav Shimon of Yaroslav; Harav Moshe Chaim of Glanov, grandson of Harav Asher Yeshayah of Ropshitz; and Harav Simchah Tuviah of Madden, son of the Imrei Noam of Dzikov.

Reb Dovid’s divrei Torah were compiled in the sefer Tzemach Dovid on the Torah.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

 March 10

In 1785, Thomas Jefferson was appointed America’s minister to France, succeeding Benjamin Franklin.

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln assigned Ulysses S. Grant, who had just received his commission as lieutenant-general, to the command of the Armies of the United States.

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell’s assistant, Thomas Watson, heard Bell say over his experimental telephone: “Mr. Watson — come here — I want to see you.”

In 1969, James Earl Ray pleaded guilty in Memphis, Tennessee, to assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (Ray later repudiated that plea, maintaining his innocence until his death.)