Preßburg, 1758: Rabbi Akiva Eger I, passed away.
The community of Pressburg (Prešporok/Bratislava/Pozsony, Slovakia) found itself faced with an awkward situation. Their rav, Rabbi Moshe Charif, was too old and fragile to deal with all the issues of the community. Therefore they decided to appoint a new young rav, to take over this burden for him. R’ Akiva Eger I, was chosen. He was the grandfather of the famous R’ Akiva Eger II from Poznań.
At a point, the new young rav was asked to give a drasha, at which the old rav felt that he was overstepping his boundaries, and he took offense. On 3 Elul the old rav, R’ Moshe Charif, passed away, and the young rav held a eulogy, but stopped in the middle, claiming that the old rav calls him to the heavenly beis din. He tried again, but couldn’t finish. On 15 Elul, the new young rav, R’ Akiva Eger I, passed away.
Source: His biography by Isaac Dov Feld, Yesh Manchilin, page 426
Receive Kankan Daily History in your mailbox: