Table of Contents
đź“… Today in Jewish History
📅 Construction of the First Beit HaMikdash.
In the year 2429, King Solomon began the construction of the First Beit HaMikdash. Scripture states: “And he began to build the House of G‑d in the second month, on the second day” (II Chronicles 3:2). Rav Yosef translates: “And he began building it in the month of Iyar, which is the eighth month, on the second day of the month.”
📅 Today’s Yahrzeits
🕯️ Rabbi Avraham Auerbach
🕯️ Rabbi Yisrael of Popyali
🕯️ Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Glick
🕯️ Rabbi Moshe Mazzuz of Tunis
🕯️Rabbi Yosef Nechemiah Kornitzer
🕯️Rabbi Avraham Badush
🕯️ Rabbi Yaakov Yosef
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👤Their Background[1]
🕯️ Year 5481 — Passing of Rabbi Avraham Auerbach
Rabbi Avraham, son of Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Auerbach, served as Av Beit Din of Chmielnik and Polonne. A revered scholar and communal leader, he is remembered for his learning, integrity, and devoted service to Torah institutions. He passed away in the year 5481.
🕯️ Year 5607 — Passing of Rabbi Yisrael of Popyali
Rabbi Yisrael, son of Rabbi Avraham of Koritz, author of Atarat Yisrael, was a distinguished halachic authority and spiritual leader. His writings reflect depth in both revealed and inner Torah. He passed away in 5607.
🕯️ Year 5669 — Passing of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Glick
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak, son of Rabbi Shammai Glick, of Tłumacz, was the author of Shu”t Yad Yitzchak. He was recognized for his responsa addressing complex halachic questions of his generation. He passed away in 5669.
🕯️ Year 5675 — Passing of Rabbi Moshe Mazzuz of Tunis
Rabbi Moshe Mazzuz, elder of the Mazzuz rabbinic family and preeminent authority in Tunisian Jewry, served as Chief Rabbi of Tunis. He was known for his mastery of halachah, communal leadership, and preservation of Sephardic tradition. He passed away in 5675.
🕯️ Year 5693 — Passing of Rabbi Yosef Nechemiah Kornitzer
Rabbi Yosef Nechemiah, son of Rabbi Akiva Kornitzer, was a respected Torah scholar and communal authority. His life was devoted to teaching and strengthening Jewish observance. He passed away in 5693.
🕯️ Year 5710 — Passing of Rabbi Avraham Badush
Rabbi Avraham Badush, author of Me’orot Avraham, of Mexico, was a righteous scholar whose teachings emphasized faith, humility, and devotion. He passed away in 5710.
🕯️ Year 5773 — Passing of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef
Rabbi Yaakov, son of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, was Rosh Yeshivah of Chazon Yaakov and Rabbi of Givat Moshe, Jerusalem. A distinguished teacher and halachic authority, he continued the Sephardic Torah legacy with clarity and dedication. He passed away in 5773.
[1] Please not that these historical notes were prepared with the assistance of Copilot Pro, an AI Research Agent, and have not been independently verified.
Today in Chabad History
đź“… 1833 – Birth of Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn — the Rebbe Maharash
Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn, known by the acronym Maharash, was the fourth Rebbe of Chabad‑Lubavitch and one of the most distinctive leaders in the dynasty’s history. He was born on 2 Iyar 5593 (April 29, 1833) in Lubavitch, the youngest of the seven sons of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the Tzemach Tzedek, and Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka. From early childhood he demonstrated exceptional intellectual ability, mastering large portions of Talmud and Chassidus while still very young. Despite this, he deliberately concealed his scholarship, preferring inward refinement to outward recognition.
Following the passing of the Tzemach Tzedek in 1866, Rabbi Shmuel was selected to become Rebbe, despite being the youngest son and despite the presence of other brothers who established independent Chabad branches elsewhere. His father had explicitly instructed the chassidim: “Listen to him as you listen to me.” This choice revealed the unique qualities of the Maharash—decisiveness, inner strength, and the ability to lead during times of pressure and complexity.
The Maharash’s leadership coincided with a difficult era for Russian Jewry, marked by government interference, anti‑Jewish policies, and the threat of pogroms. Although physically frail, he traveled extensively throughout Europe, meeting with ministers and officials and advocating tirelessly on behalf of Jewish communities. His command of several languages—including Russian, French, and Latin—enabled him to represent Jewish interests with clarity and authority.
In Chassidic thought, the Maharash is most famously associated with the principle “L’chatchilah Ariber”—“From the outset, go over”. While conventional wisdom advised going around obstacles, he taught that one should confront challenges directly and transcend them from the beginning. This approach expressed not only a spiritual philosophy but also his personal mode of leadership: confidence grounded in deep faith and inner certainty.
His teachings in Chassidus are preserved primarily in the extensive corpus known as Toras Shmuel, containing maamarim that probe the deepest structures of seder hishtalshelus, Divine unity, and human avodah. These discourses are noted for their intellectual rigor and conceptual depth, marking a transition point between earlier Chabad styles and the analytical framework later developed by his son and successor. Much of his writing remained unpublished during his lifetime and was printed only decades later, beginning in the twentieth century.
Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn passed away on 13 Tishrei 5643 (September 14, 1882) in Lubavitch and was buried there. He was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn (the Rashab), who expanded upon his father’s intellectual legacy and institutionalized Chabad learning in unprecedented ways. The Maharash is remembered as a Rebbe of inner strength, fearless leadership, and spiritual audacity, whose influence continues to shape the character of Chabad thought and action.
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An account is recorded concerning the birth of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Shmuel (the Maharash):
Following the great fire in Lubavitch, the Tzemach Tzedek decided to purchase land and build a large residence that included a study hall. The local nobleman, Lubomirski, instructed the overseer of his estate to provide—free of charge—all the timber required for the Rebbe’s home from his forest.
The Tzemach Tzedek intended to inaugurate the new house on Shavuot, but his wife wished that the birth take place in the new residence. When labor pains began, she was brought into the yet‑unused study hall, where the utensils from Pesach were still present—including the wooden bed upon which flour for shmurah matzah had been sifted. Straw was spread on the bed and the Rebbetzin lay there.
When the Tzemach Tzedek was informed, he hurried to the room and stood facing the wall throughout the entire labor. He instructed his sons—Rabbi Baruch Shalom, Rabbi Yehuda Leib, and Rabbi Chaim Schneur Zalman—to recite specific chapters of Tehillim in adjoining rooms: chapters 1–4, 21–24, 33, 47, 72, 86, 90–91, 104, 112–113, and then until the end of the book.
He also instructed that the midwife immerse herself in a mikvah before receiving the child and that the newborn be wrapped in a special white cloth that he personally provided.
