This Day in History – 19 Cheshvan/November 12

In 2/3760 B.C.E., according to the Arizal, Hevel lived for 49 days, meaning that his brother Kayin killed him on this date. According to Midrash Rabbah he was killed on tomorrow’s date. Other opinions in Chazal are that he was killed on Erev Pesach, and that he was killed at the age of 40.

In 5767/1906, the Chofetz Chaim completed his monumental work, the Mishnah Berurah.

Yahrtzeiten

5316/1555, Harav Naftali Yitzchak Segal, zt”l, mechaber of Naftali Seva Ratzon

5536/1775, Harav Yitzchak Avraham Wallerstein of Minsk, zt”l, brother of the Shaagas Aryeh

5600/1839, Harav Shimshon Halevi Heller of Zhbarizh, zt”l

5615/1854, Harav Moshe Michel of Biala, zt”l

5665/1904, Harav Sa’asa Hakohen of Djerba, zt”l

5702/1942, Harav Avraham Tzvi Hirsch Kamai, Hy”d, Rosh Yeshivah and Rav of Mir

5610/1849, Harav Eliyahu Rogler, zt”l, Rav of Slabodka and Kalisch

Harav Eliyahu was born in 5554/1794 in Soginad, near Zamut, which was at the Prussian border. His father, Harav Yaakov, was a talmid chacham who ran a hotel; after all the guests were asleep, he would learn until the morning. In his youth, Eliyahu learned under his father. Shortly after his bar mitzvah, he was engaged to the daughter of Reb Dovid Gardimer, an affluent man who willingly undertook to support and tend to a chassan who would dedicate himself to learning.

Reb Eliyahu went to Volozhin to learn under Harav Chaim Volozhiner. He grew very close with Reb Chaim, who spoke with him often.

His first rabbinic position was in Shott, near Kaidan. Later, in 5581/1821, he was appointed Rav in Rogoli, and is called Reb Eliyahu Rogoler after this city.

Three years later, in 5584/1824, he was offered the post as Rav in William-Pally where he headed a yeshivah, attracting hundreds of bachurim.

In 5600/1840, he was appointed Rav in Kalisch, where he remained until the end of his life.

In 5608/1848, he fell ill and was bedridden.  He was niftar on 19 Cheshvan 5610/1849, and buried the next day near the kever of the Magen Avraham.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah.

Nov. 12

In 1927, Josef Stalin became the undisputed ruler of the Soviet Union as Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party.

In 1936, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened as President Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in Washington, D.C., giving the green light to traffic.

In 1982, Yuri V. Andropov was elected to succeed Leonid Brezhnev as general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party’s Central Committee.

In 2001, American Airlines Flight 587, headed to the Dominican Republic, crashed after takeoff from New York’s JFK Airport, killing all 260 people on board and five people on the ground.