This Day in History – 5 Sivan/May 14

In 2449/1312 B.C.E., Moshe Rabbeinu erected the 12 mizbechos and made a bris with the Jewish people at the foot of Mount Sinai, at which they declared, “All that Hashem has spoken, we shall do and hear” (Shemos 24:7), pledging to “do” (naaseh) before they “hear” (nishma).

In 5488/1728, the brothers Chaim and Yehoshua Reizes of Lemberg, Hy”d — charged with bringing an apostate back to Judaism — were tortured and executed.

In 5544/1784, the Jews of Warsaw and its environs were expelled.

Yahrtzeiten

5623/1863, Harav Gershon Ashkenazi, zt”l, mechaber of Avodas Hagershuni

5635/1875, Harav Eliyahu Eichenstein of Ziditchov, zt”l

5557/1797

Harav Ze’ev Wolf of Zhitomir, zt”l, the Ohr Hameir

Harav Ze’ev Wolf Halevi, Maggid in Zhitomir, was one of the closest talmidim of the Maggid of Mezeritch, zy”a.

As with many other Gedolim of his era, early biographical details are sketchy.

He was drawn to the ways of Chassidus in his younger years, and traveled to the court of the Maggid in Mezeritch. From then on, he was totally devoted to the ways and avodas Hashem he had learned by his Rebbe. Among the chassidim of the Maggid who were close with Reb Zev Wolf were Harav Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and Harav Aharon Karlin.

Initially, Reb Zev Wolf did not wish to support himself through Torah; therefore, he opened a wine business.

The Mezeritcher Maggid, seeing the greatness of his talmid Reb Zev Wolf, and noting how he spoke to the other chassidim, instilling in them middos tovos, avodas Hashem and Chassidus, appointed Reb Zev Wolf as a Maggid in his home town of Zhitomir.

Besides serving as Maggid, Reb Zev Wolf was noted for his exalted ways, and many talmidim and Chassidim gathered to hear his pearls of wisdom. He founded a beis medrash in Zhitomir.

He was close with many of the other Rebbes of the generation, all of whom held him in high regard.

Reb Zev Wolf was close with Harav Yaakov Yosef of Polnoa, the Toldos Yaakov Yosef, from the time they were both in the court of the Maggid of Mezeritch.

Reb Zev Wolf was also close with Harav Zusha of Anipoli, who later became his mechutan; his son Rav Yosef married Reb Zusha’s granddaughter.

The many divrei Torah and drashos of Reb Zev Wolf were written down by his talmid Harav Eliezer, the shochet of Zhitomir. Reb Zev Wolf’s sefer, Ohr Hameir, has been accepted as one of the fundamental chassidic works and one of the earliest printed. Many of the divrei Torah are from the Mezeritcher Maggid.

Reb Zev Wolf was niftar on 5 Sivan, Erev Shavuos, 5557/1797. (According to some, he was niftar on 15 Adar. However, according to a witness, his petirah was on Erev Shavuos.)

His sons from his first zivug were Harav Yisrael Dov Ber, the son-in-law of Harav Chaim of Krasna, who succeeded his father in Zhitomir; Harav Menachem Mendel; Harav Tzvi Hirsh; and Harav Yosef.

His children from his second zivug — Harav David, Harav Yechiel Michel and Harav Pinchas — were just young children at Reb Zev Wolf’s petirah.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

In 1643, Louis XIV became King of France at age 4 upon the death of his father, Louis XIII.

In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps against smallpox by using cowpox matter.

In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory as well as the Pacific Northwest left camp near present-day Hartford, Ill.

In 1863, Union forces defeated the Confederates in the Battle of Jackson, Miss.

In 1948, according to the current-era calendar, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv.

In 1961, Freedom Riders were attacked by violent mobs in Anniston and Birmingham, Ala.

In 1973, the United States launched Skylab 1, its first manned space station. (Skylab 1 remained in orbit for six years before burning up during re-entry in 1979.)