Rav Yitzchak Friedman, the first Rebbe of Bohush (1834-1896). The eldest grandchild of the Ruzhiner, Reb Yitzchak was only a year younger than the Ruzhiner’s youngest son, Reb Mordechai Shraga, and was cared for and educated by the Ruzhiner himself, regarded more as one of the Ruzhiner’s children than as his grandchild. Reb Yitzchak’s father, Reb Shalom Yosef, was the eldest of the Ruzhiner’s six sons. Reb Yitzchak was only 16 years old when his father passed away. For a few years he lived in the town of Potik with his uncle Reb Dovid Moshe of Chortkov. Later on, Reb Yitzchak moved to the town of Ezemal and then finally to Bohush in Romania, becoming known as the Bohusher Rebbe.

Birthday (1566 BCE) and yahrtzeit (1441 BCE) of Dan ben Yaakov Avinu (Midrash Tadshe)
Rav Chisdai ben Shmuel HaKohen Perachia (1678). He was the author of responsa called Toras Chessed. He died in Salonika (then Turkey, now Greece).
Rav Avraham Shimshon HaKohen of Rashkov, son of the Toldos Yaakov Yosef. He was one of talmidim of the Besht that went to Eretz-Yisrael
Rav Yosef Yoel Deutsch, Av Beis Din and first Rav of Kretchinef (1858). He also served as Dayan in Tarnopol from 1832 to 1839, and Rav in Manistrich in Galicia from 1846. He authored Yad Yosef, a collection of 124 responsa on the four sections of Shulchan Aruch. His son, Rav Dovid Nosan Deutsch, wrote Nefesh Dovid.

Rav Reuven Margulios (1889-1971). His published works range from biographies and history books to discussions of the behavior of Talmud sages, including behavior which is seemingly unusual, and explain it in light of those sages’ halachic opinions. It truly appears that there was no section of Shas or  Midrash, no Rishon or Acharon, and no aspect of kabbalah which was not at Rav Margalios’s finger tips.

Rav Aryeh Leib Teumim, the author of “Gur Aryeh” (1831)
Rav Yeshaya of Przedborz (1756-1831). Born in Lask, near Lodz, he was descended from a rabbinical family. His great-grandfather, Rav Meir Getz, was the Rav of Lask and of Piotrkow. His father, Rav Meir, died when Rav Yeshaya was young, leaving no other son. When he was 14, a wealthy businessman from Przedborz took Rav Yeshaya as a son-in-law. There, he met the Yid Hakadosh, Rav Yaakov Yitzchak. Together, they traveled to Lithuania to learn from the Chozeh.

Rav Yitzchak Bar Sheshes, the Rivash (1326-1407). Born in Barcelona. The son of Sheshes Perfet, Rav Yitzchak is considered a student of Rav Shlomo ben Aderes (the Rashba) as he followed his teachings, though he actually studied under the Ran. He wrote commentaries on the Talmud, Torah and halachos and served as Rav of Saragossa. He strongly opposed Aristotle’s approach and strongly discouraged the study of kabbalah. When the widespread massacres started in 1391 CE, Rivash fled to the safety of North Africa, settling in Algiers. There he was appointed to be Chief Rabbi, a position recognized by the Algerian government.

Rav Dovid Hanaggid ben Avrohom ben Rambam (1224 or 1233-1300). Rav David lived in Eretz Yisrael for a number of years then moved back to Egypt where he died. His remains where brought back to Israel and he was buried in Tiberias in order to be next to the grave of his Grandfather.
Rav Chanoch Henach Dov Maier of Alesk, the Lev Sameyach (1800-1884). Rav Chanoch married Frieda Rokeach, daughter of the first Belzer Rebbe, Rav Shalom. Following the death of Rav Berish Flam, Rav Chanoch was elected Rebbe of Alesk.
Today in History – 1 Elul
· Hashem tells Zerubavel ben Sha’altiel (via Chaggai) to rebuild the Beis haMikdash.

Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, the Netziv, (1817-1893). He was born in Mir, the son-in-law of Rav Isaac, son of Rav Chaim of Volozhin (1749-1821) he married the granddaughter of Rav Chaim Volozhiner when he was 14 years old. In 1849, upon the petira of Rav Yitzchak, the father-in-law of the Nertziv, Rav Yitzchak was succeeded by his older son-in-law, Rav Eliezer Yitzchak. However, he died five years later, and the Netziv was appointed Rosh Yeshiva, a position he held for 40 years. Volozhin was forcibly closed by the Russians in 1893. He wrote Haamek Davar, a commentary on the Chumash, Haamek She’elah on the She’eltos of Rav Achai Gaon, and Meshiv Davar, a collection of his responsa.

Rav Dovid Sutton Dabbah (1885-1949). Born and raised in Aleppo, Syria, he married in 1910, and was asked to serve as the Rav of Killis, Turkey, near  the Syrian border. He returned to Syria in 1916, but his wife died at the age of 25 one year later. He remarried in 1918, and left for Yerushalayim in 1924, as daily life for Jews in Syria became quite difficult. Settling in the Bucharim neighborhood, he studied at the Yeshiva Porat Yosef. Several years later, he traveled to Argentina, hoping to raise funds for the Jews of Yerushalayim.

Rav Chaim Soloveitchik of Volozhin and Brisk (1853-1918). Son of the Beis Halevi, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, Rav Chaim was born in Volozhin, but moved with his family to Slutzk while still quite young, when his father became Rav of the city. When Rav Chaim was 20, he married Lifsha, the daughter of Rav Raphael Shapira, the son-in-law of the Netziv. Since Rav Raphael was a rish mesivta in Volozhin, Rav Chaim moved there. When Rav Raphael moved away, Rav Chaim took the post of rosh mesivta. Volozhin in 1880. In 1892, following the closing of the Volozhin yeshivah, Rav Chaim moved to Brisk where he succeeded his father as the community Rav. Rav Chaim is buried next to the Netziv in the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw.

Rav Shimshon Wertheimer (1658-1724). Born in Worms, Germany, he learned in the yeshivas of Worms and Frankfurt. After marrying the daughter of the Rav of Manheim in 1684, he moved to Vienna. Within a few years, he became the wealthiest Jew of his day. He served as finance minister for Austrian emperors Leopold I, Josef I and Karl IV. In exchange for his services, Reb Shimshon requested better treatment for his fellow Jews throughout the Austrio-Hungarian Empire. He negotiated the Jews’ right to live in major cities, including Vienna and Frankfurt, he saved the Jews of Rothenberg from expulsion, and he intervened to save Jews of Worms and Frankfurt. He was also a talmid chacham and helped to establish 40 kehillos in Hungary.