This Day in History – 5 Nisan/March 25

In 2449/1312 B.C.E., the nasi of Shevet Shimon, Shelumiel ben Tzurishadai, brought his korban.

In 5561/1801, the Jewish community of Carentan, France, was miraculously saved from a blood libel.

In 5693/1933, the official Nazi boycott of German Jewish merchants began (on April 1 of that year).

In 5702/1942, 2,500 Jews of Lublin were killed al kiddush Hashem and the rest were deported.

Yahrtzeiten

5662/1902, Harav Shneur Zalman of Lublin, zt”l, mechaber of Toras Chessed

5670/1910, Harav Malkiel Tzvi of Lomaz, zt”l, mechaber of Divrei Malkiel

5684/1924, Harav Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro, zt”l, the Tzvi Latzaddik of Bluzhov

5750/1990, Harav Reuven Yosef Gershonowitz, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Hanegev

5585/1825, Harav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel, zt”l, the Ohev Yisrael of Apta

Harav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apta was born in 5508/1748 in Zhemigrod to Harav Shmuel, who descended from an esteemed lineage of Rabbanim and Gedolei Yisrael.

Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel was brought to the Rebbe Harav Elimelech of Lizhensk by the Rebbes Harav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and Harav Moshe Leib of Sassov. He became one of the Noam Elimelech’s prime talmidim and was one of the four who inherited his spiritual virtues: the Chozeh of Lublin, who received Reb Elimelech’s vision; the Maggid of Kozhnitz, who received his heart; Harav Mendele of Riminov, who received his ruchniyus intelligence; and the Apta Rav, who received his power of speech.

While in his early 30s, Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel became Rav in Kolbosov. It was there that he also first began to lead Chassidim, after the petirah of his Rebbe, Reb Elimelech, in 5546/1786.

The Apta Rav lived to the age of 77 and was considered the elder tzaddik of his generation.

The day before his petirah, Reb Avraham Yehoshua Heschel walked through his house, taking leave of every object. He kissed each sefer and took leave of all his talmidim. He was niftar on 5 Nisan 5585/1825 and is buried near the kever of the Baal Shem Tov in Mezhibuzh.

Yehi zichro baruch.

March 25

In 1306, Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scots.

In 1865, during the Civil War, Confederate forces attacked Fort Stedman in Virginia but were forced to withdraw because of counterattacking Union troops.

In 1911, 146 people, mostly young female immigrants, were killed when fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. in N.Y.

In 1965, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led 25,000 people to the Alabama state capitol in Montgomery after a five-day march from Selma to protest the denial of voting rights to blacks.