This Day in History – 22 Cheshvan/November 4

In 5057/1296, Jewish physicians were barred from treating Christians in Sicily.

In 5705/1944, Nazi deportation of Budapest Jews began.

Yahrtzeiten

5398/1637, Harav Shlomo Halevi Charif, zt”l, Rav of Lvov

5417/1656, Harav Moshe Lima, zt”l, mechaber of Chelkas Hamechokek

5579/1818, Harav Ezriel Horowitz of Lublin, zt”l, known as the Rosh Habarzel

5687/1926, Harav Yissachar Dov Rokeach, zt”l, the Belzer Rebbe

5574/1813, Harav Dovid Shlomo Eibeshitz, the Arvei Nachal, zt”l

Harav Dovid Shlomo Eibeshitz was born in Ausien about 5515/1755 to a simple family. His father was Reb Yerachmiel.

In his youth, Reb Dovid Shlomo was already considered an iluy, and Harav Meir Margolies of Ostroha, the Meir Nesivim, suggested him as a fitting shidduch for the daughter of his close associate, Harav Yechiel Michel Seidman.

After his marriage, Reb Dovid Shlomo learned under his grandfather-in-law Harav Avraham Moshe Abish, the Tzlosa D’Avraham, Harav Eliezer Auerbach, Rav of Tolshin and Dubna, the mechaber of Arbaah Turei Aven, and from Harav Moshe Tzvi Heller, mechaber of Geon Tzvi.

Reb Dovid Shlomo was drawn to Chassidus. His Rebbes, among the leading talmidim of the Maggid of Mezeritch, included Harav Zev Wolf of Tcharni-Ostroha, Harav Meshulam Feivish Halevi of Zhabrizh and Harav Uziel Meisels of Ritshvahl, the Tiferes Uziel.

Reb Dovid Shlomo’s first position was as Rosh Yeshivah in Nadvorna in 5540/1780.

Then Reb Dovid Shlomo became Rav in Chorostov.

In 5550/1790, Reb Dovid Shlomo became Rav in Budzhanov, holding this post for about 11 years. Some of the drashos he gave there are printed in Arvei Nachal, his best-known work.  He also wrote works on halachah, on Shulchan Aruch and on Shas, plus Neos Deshe, a teshuvah sefer and Megillas Setarim, a mussar work based on the first perek in Tehillim.

Finally, he was named Rav of Soroka, and is therefore known to posterity as the Soroker Rav.

In 5569/1809 Reb Dovid Shlomo ascended to Eretz Yisrael, settling in Tzfas. In his vast humility, he davened at the back of the beis medrash like a simple Jew, and took a job as a melamed.

Reb Dovid Shlomo was niftar on 22 Cheshvan 5574/1813, and buried in an ohel in Tzfas.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

Nov. 4

In 1952, the highly secretive National Security Agency came into existence.

In 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began as terrorists stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, seizing its occupants. For some of them, it was to be the start of 444 days of captivity.

In 1980, Republican Ronald Reagan won the White House as he defeated President Jimmy Carter by a strong margin.

In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the U.S., defeating Republican John McCain.