This Day in History – 4 Sivan/May 13

4 Sivan

In 2449/1312 B.C.E., Moshe Rabbeinu explained to Bnei Yisrael the mitzvos of hagbalah and perishah. According to Rabi Yosi (Shabbos 86b), there were three days of hagbalah, and the Torah was given on 7 Sivan; according to the Chachamim there were two days of hagbalah and the Torah was given on 6 Sivan.

On this date, Moshe Rabbeinu wrote down the first 68 perakim of the Torah, from Bereishis to Mattan Torah, and the mitzvos that they were commanded in Marah (Shemos 24:4; Rashi ibid.). He also taught the seven mitzvos of Bnei Noach.

In 4336/576 C.E., over 500 Jews were forcibly baptized in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

In 5241/1481, the pope issued an order calling on all Christian princes to send back to Spain any Jews who had fled from the Inquisition.

In 5408/1648, the infamous riots of tach v’tat broke out. Led by Bogdan Chmielnicki, ym”s, they resulted in the massacre of more than 300,000 Jews. Hy”d.

Yahrtzeit

5686/1926, Harav Moshe Jungreis, zt”l, Rav of Kashua

5648/1888

Harav Yeshayah Naftali Hertz of Dinov, zt”l, mechaber of Hanosen Imrei Shefer

Harav Yeshayah Naftali Hertz was born c. 5598/1838. He was the son of Harav David of Dinov, the Tzemach David, who in turn was the son of Harav Tzvi Elimelech, the Bnei Yissaschar, zt”l. His mother was the daughter of the naggid Reb Yeshayah Naftali Hertz of Tarka, after whom he was named.

He married Rebbetzin Udel Rivkah, the daughter of his uncle, Harav Elazar Shapiro of Lantzuht, zt”l, the Yodei Binah.

After his father’s petirah in 5634/1874, he succeeded him as Rav and Rebbe in Dinov.

Before the Tzemach David was niftar, he likened his three sons to the three pillars of Torah, avodah and gemilus chassadim. Harav Tzvi Elimelech of Bluzhev was the pillar of Torah; Harav Meir Yehudah of Bikovsk the pillar of gemilus chassadim; while his oldest son, Reb Yeshayah Naftali Hertz, was a pillar of avodah. Indeed, Chassidim related that his tallis was wet from perspiration after every single tefillah.

When the Divrei Chaim of Sanz gave his daughter in marriage to Harav Aharon of Beitch, he honored Reb Yeshayah Naftali Hertz with siddur kiddushin, although he was but a yungerman at the time. The Divrei Chaim explained his choice by saying that a mesader kiddushin needs to be a yerei Shamayim, and this yungerman was totally a yerei Shamayim!

Reb Yeshayah Naftali Hertz was niftar very young, at the age of 47. His brother-in-law, the Shem Shlomo of Munkacz, zt”l, remarked that his body could no longer retain his holy neshamah!

His son-in-law and successor, Harav Yosef Shapiro of Dinov, zt”l, published his divrei Torah in the sefer Hanosen Imrei Shefer.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

In 1607, English colonists arrived by ship at the site of what became the Jamestown settlement in Virginia. (The colonists went ashore the next day.)

In 1846, the United States declared that a state of war already existed with Mexico.

In 1918, the first U.S. airmail stamps, featuring a picture of a Curtiss JN-4 biplane, were issued to the public. (On a few of the stamps, the biplane was inadvertently printed upside-down, making them collector’s items.)

In 1940, Britain’s new prime minister, Winston Churchill, told Parliament: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

In 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat, were spat upon and their limousine battered by rocks thrown by anti-U.S. demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela.

In 1968, a one-day general strike took place in France in support of student protesters.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter’s Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca.