This Day in History – 27 Elul/September 11

Third day of Creation: Hashem created the seas, the grass and the trees. This is the only day in which the Torah states twice “and Hashem saw that it was good.” Therefore, many tzaddikim referred to Tuesday as the “yom shehuchpal bo ki tov — The day in which ‘it is good’ is doubled.”

In 5374/1614, the Jews of Frankfurt-am-Main were expelled; a taanis tzibbur was instituted to commemorate the expulsion.

In 5497/1737, the Jews of New York were barred from voting.

Yahrtzeiten

5479/1719, Harav Moshe Segal of Lvov, zt”l. He was known as Rosh HaGolah Umanhig Hamedinah.

5593/1833, Harav Yaakov Leib of Kvahl, zt”l

5615/1855, Harav Shalom of Belz, zt”l, known as the Sar Shalom, founder of the Belz dynasty

5560/1800, Harav Nosson Hakohen Adler Of Frankfurt, zt”l

Known respectfully as the Nesher Hagadol (the Great Eagle), Harav Nosson Adler (eagle in German) was born in 5502/1742 in Frankfurt-am-Main. His father was Harav Yaakov Shimon Hakohen, a disciple of the Pnei Yehoshua.

From his youth Reb Nosson immersed himself exclusively in the four cubits of Torah and halachah, utilizing every moment for avodas Hashem. The Chida writes about him that from the age of nine his heart never strayed to mundane matters! This statement was so recorded on Rav Nosson’s matzeivah.

He was also known for his zealousness in kedushah and prishus. He arose at midnight, every single night, to recite Tikkun Chatzos.

He was a son-in-law of Harav Dovid Strauss, Rav of Piroda.

He studied Torah under the greatest men of his generation, among them Harav Avraham Abish of Frankfurt, the Birkas Avraham; Harav Yaakov Shimon, a talmid of the Pnei Yehoshua; and Harav Dovid Tebeli Schiff, Rav of London.

Rav Nosson’s home was always open to anyone who wanted to learn, elevate himself or get material help.

In 5542/1782 he became Rav in Boskowitz, but after four years he returned to Frankfurt.

Rav Nosson suffered much persecution, in both Frankfurt and Boskowitz. In those times the haskalah movement, the so-called “enlightenment,” began rearing its ugly head, and Rav Nosson, as well as his talmidim, fought its proponents vehemently.

Through the hundreds of his talmidim who became Rabbanim and askanim, Rav Nosson shaped future generations. Among his disciples was the famed Chasam Sofer. The Chasam Sofer was devoted to his Rebbi to such an extent that when Rav Nosson was niftar, the Chasam Sofer found out about it in a dream in which he envisioned a sefer Torah draped in black.

Among the many wondrous stories about his Rebbi related by the Chasam Sofer is one about a terrible fire that broke out in the Jewish quarter of Frankfurt in 5534/1774. The fire devoured the houses near his beis medrash, yet Rav Nosson — wearing tallis and tefillin — calmly remained in shul without a trace of fear and continued to daven with total kavanah. Though most of the Jewish Quarter was destroyed by the fire, including the house adjacent to the beis medrash, the beis medrash itself remained unharmed.

Rav Nosson never recorded any chiddushim, claiming that writing Torah shebe’al peh is only permitted because of forgetfulness, and since he never forgot one word he learned he was not allowed to record his chiddushim.

Rav Nosson was a Kohen Meyuchas, a descendant of the Yalkut Shimoni, and he performed Birkas Kohanim every day. He attested that when the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt he will perform the avodah. He was niftar on 27 Elul 5560.

Zechuso yagein aleinu.

Sept. 11

In 1789, Alexander Hamilton was appointed the first U.S. secretary of the treasury.

In 1814, an American fleet scored a decisive victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Champlain in the War of 1812.

In 1936, Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam) began operation as President Roosevelt pressed a key in Washington to start the dam’s first hydroelectric generator.

In 2001, 19 terrorists hijacked four passenger jetliners, crashing two of them into the World Trade Center, and one into the Pentagon. Passengers on the fourth airliner rose up against the terorrists, who crashed into a field in western Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks.