Yahrtzeits, Friday, 13 Tammuz
Rav Moshe Rivkash (Rivka’s), author of Be’er Hagolah on Shulchan Aruch (1684). He was one of four great tzadikim of Vilna who lived at the tragic time of the massacres at the hands of the Cossacks in 1655, along with Rav Ephraim (the Shaar Ephraim), Rav Shabbsai Cohen (the Shach), and Rav Shmuel Koidenaver. Approximately 25,000 Jews were killed in and around Vilna.
Rav Chaim Hakohen Rappaport (1771). The son of the Rav of Lublin following the Chacham Tzvi, Rav Chaim was appointed Rav first in Shlutsk then in Zhittel, where he authored Sheiols U’teshuvos Rabbeinu Chaim Kohen. A few years later, he was appointed Rav in Lutsk , then in 1741, in Lvov (Lemberg), where he remained for 30 years. He also authored Zecher Hachaim.
Rav Aryeh Leib (ben Mordechai HaLevi) Epstein, the author of HaPardes (1775)
Rav Mordechai (ben Yechiel Michel) of Kremnitz [Kremnica] (1820). One of the five sons of the Zlotschover Maggid, who were referred to as my “chamisha chumshai Torah.” One of Rav Mordechai’s brothers was Rav Moshe of Zvhil, the first Zvhiller Rebbe.
Rav Chanoch Henoch Dov (ben Elazer) Rubin (1920), Sassover Rebbe of London
Rav Yoel Planer, Rav of Uhel , Hungary (1925)
Rav Dovid of Rachmistrivka (1950)
Rav Yitzchak Eizik Rosenbaum of Zutchka (1906-2000). Born in Romania to Rav Isamar Rosenbaum of Nadvorna, he was named after his mother’s ancestor, Rav Yitzchak Eizik of Komarna. At an early age, his family moved to Chernovitz, whose 45,000 Jews constituted about 45% of the city’s population. The first maskilim settled in Chernovitz at the start of the 19th century, and their influence had grown so fast that, by 1849, they controlled the Board of the Jewish community. It was in Chernowitz that secular Yiddishism held a major convocation and proclaimed Yiddish as the Jewish national language in1908. After Rav Yitzchak Eizik married his wife, Chanah, his father asked him to preside as Rav and Admor in the town of Vashkowitz . Two years later, he moved to Zutchka where he remained until World War II. Soon after the war, Rav Yitzchak Eizik moved to Boro Park . After Rav Yitzchak Eizik’s father passed away, he settled in Tel Aviv to take over his father’sbeis medrash, in 1973. In 1981, he relocated to Bnei Brak. One of the Rebbe’s sons, Rav Nosson Dovid, took over the Zutchka beis medrash in Bnei Brak.
Yahrtzeits, Shabbos, 14 Tammuz
Rav Yosef Trani, the Maharit (1568-1639). Born in Safed, he married to a descendant of Rav Yosef Caro, but fled Safed due to plague outbreak. Returned to Safed to head a yeshiva in 1594. Moved to Constantinople in 1604, becoming Rabbi of the city and leader of Turkish Jewry a few years later. Best known for his teshuvos.
Rav Shmuel Shatin, the Kos Hayeshuos (1719). Rav of Dramesht.
Rav Yehoshua Heshel (ben Baruch) Frankel-Teumim (1843). The son of the Baruch Ta’am. He lived in Komarna and was a devoted chassid of the Chozeh of Lublin but refused the Chozeh’s suggestion that he lead the Chassidim of eastern Galicia (a position that went to the Sar Shalom of Belz instead).
Rav Yaakov Yitzhak HaLevy Ruderman, (1901-1987) Rosh Yesiva of Ner Israel , Baltimore . Born on Shushan Purim in 1901 in Dolhinov, Russia; studied in Yeshivas Knesset Yisrael in Slobodka, then headed by Rav Nosson Zvi Finkel (the Alter) and Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein. Among his colleagues in Slobodka were Rav Reuven Grozovsky; Rav Ruderman’s first cousin, Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky; Rav Aharon Kotler; Rav Yitzchak Hutner; In ~1926, Rav Ruderman published his only written work, Avodas Halevi. In 1930, Rav Ruderman joined his father-in-law, Rav SheftelKramer, at the latter’s yeshiva in Cleveland . In 1933, Rav Ruderman moved to Baltimore and founded the Ner Israel yeshiva, leading that yeshiva for 54 years until his passing. His death in 1987 followed less than one-and-a-half years after the passing of Rav Kaminetzky and Rav Moshe Feinstein. Posthumously, Rav Ruderman’s students have published two volumes of his teachings: Sichos Levi contains mussar/ethical insights based on the weekly parashah, while Mas’as Levi contains lectures on the 19th century work Minchas Chinuch and other Tamudic and halachic insights.
Rav Mordechai Attiah, Sephardic Rosh Yeshiva in Yerushalayim (1978)
Rav Yitzchak Eizik (ben Isamar) Rosenbaum, the Zutchke (Zutchka) Rebbe (2000).
Today in History, Friday, 13 Tammuz
· Wearing of the yellow star was decreed mandatory for all Jews in the Baltic States , 1941
· Minsk( Russia ) was captured by the Germans, 1942 trapping about 40,000 Jews
· The Germany army command led by Erwin Rommel reached El Ala mein in Northern Egypt , 96km west of Alexandria . After Gedolim in Eretz Yisrael held massive tefillah rallies, the Germans retreated.
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