1. Yahrzeit of Reb Baruch Mordechai of Babruisk
The 14th day of Elul marks several significant events, both somber and uplifting. Foremost among them is the yahrzeit—anniversary of passing—of the great scholar and chossid, Reb Baruch Mordechai Attinger of Babruisk, who passed away in the year Tof Reish Yud Beis (1852), about 160 years ago from Tof Shin Ayin Gimel. Babruisk is a city where he served as rabbi for fifty years, earning respect from both chassidim and misnagdim alike. Reb Baruch Mordechai was a distinguished student of the Alter Rebbe, Reb Shneur Zalman, and became deeply attached to him through a long and detailed journey. After the Alter Rebbe’s passing, he became one of the prominent chassidim of the Mittler Rebbe, and later, after the Mittler Rebbe’s passing, he was counted among the elder chassidim of the Tzemach Tzedek. Thus, his life spanned three generations of Chabad leadership. He was renowned not only for his scholarship but also for his unique ability to draw people close with warmth and wisdom. His love for Torah and fear of Heaven were palpable even in ordinary conversation, which was marked by sharpness and pleasantness. Despite his stature, he remained exceedingly humble.2. Anecdotes Illustrating His Humility
A well-known anecdote highlights Reb Baruch Mordechai’s humility. His home in Babruisk was modest, with a persistent puddle in front due to poor drainage. When asked about it, he would reference a teaching from our sages that Hashem showed Adam HaRishon all future generations and their leaders. Upon seeing that Baruch Mordechai would be rabbi of Babruisk, Adam HaRishon spat in disbelief—and from that spit came the eternal puddle before his house. This self-effacing story reflects his deep humility despite his greatness. In his final year, Tof Reish Yud Alef (1851), Reb Baruch Mordechai traveled to Eretz Yisrael and settled in Yerushalayim. He passed away there after about a year and is buried on Har Hazaisim (Mount of Olives), near the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh.3. The Previous Rebbe’s Move to Warsaw
Another notable event on 14 Elul occurred in Tof Reish Tzadi Gimel (1933): the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe settled in Warsaw, Poland. After miraculously leaving Russia in the autumn of 1927, he first established himself in Riga, Latvia, where he lived until 1933 before moving to Warsaw. At that time, Warsaw was a vibrant center of Jewish life with many chassidic courts and thousands of chassidim. The move is documented in a letter from the Previous Rebbe to his son-in-law (the Rebbe), written on Erev Elul as they traveled toward Warsaw; they arrived on 14 Elul. The family remained there for two years until moving to Otwock in 1935 (Tof Reish Tzadi Hei). The sequence was: Leningrad – Riga – Warsaw – Otwock – eventually leading to their arrival in America in 1940.4. Tragedy: Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Horenstein’s Martyrdom
The 14th day of Elul is also marked by tragedy: it is the day when Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Horenstein was murdered at Treblinka during the Holocaust. She was the daughter of the Rebbe Maharash. The horrors faced by her and so many others are deeply personal for the Rebbe himself; he lost many immediate family members during this period. The details surrounding her death are known thanks to testimony preserved by the Rebbe. In one of his writings on a maamar from the Previous Rebbe, he cites a letter received from Mordechai Unrad, who had been together with Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hakoyen Horenstein (the Rebbetzin’s son) during that period. Unrad relates that on 15 Elul תש"ב (1942), Rabbi Menachem Mendel received word from his wife Sheina that on 14 Elul his mother had been taken to the gas chambers.5. Family Connections and Holocaust Testimonies
The Previous Rebbe had three daughters: Chaya Mushka (the wife of our Rebbe), Chana (married to Rabbi Shemaryahu Gourary), and Sheina (married to Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hakoyen Horenstein). During these turbulent times, much of the family was scattered across Europe due to Nazi persecution. The account continues with details about how these testimonies were transmitted: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hakoyen Horenstein relayed information about his mother’s fate through Unrad’s letter to the Rebbe. Such records are rare since many Holocaust victims’ dates or circumstances of death remain unknown; often families must designate an arbitrary date for yahrzeit, simply so they know when to recite Kaddish. In this case, however, there is direct evidence regarding her final day.6. The Family’s Escape Routes During World War II
When war broke out and Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939, members of the Lubavitcher family were already dispersed throughout Europe. The Previous Rebbe managed a miraculous escape from Poland with help from sympathetic Germans—a story now documented in detail—traveling by night through dangerous territory until reaching safety. Meanwhile, our Rebbe was first in Berlin before relocating to France as conditions worsened under Nazi occupation. Eventually he moved south into Vichy France where corruption allowed some Jews temporary reprieve through bribes or connections. Not all family members could be saved: while some escaped or hid successfully during these years, others such as Sheina and her husband perished at Treblinka along with countless others whose stories remain only partially known due to wartime chaos.7. Reflections on Loss and Remembrance
These events underscore both moments of resilience and unimaginable loss within Chabad history associated with 14 Elul: yahrzeits commemorating spiritual giants like Reb Baruch Mordechai Attinger alongside heartbreaking reminders such as Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Horenstein’s martyrdom. The stories also highlight how even amidst destruction and displacement during World War II, efforts were made by survivors and leaders alike to preserve memory—ensuring that names, dates, and legacies would not be forgotten despite attempts at erasure by their oppressors.