R. Shmuel Abba Schapiro and his brother R. Pinchas managed the famed printing press of Slavuta, in what is now Ukraine. In 1835, they were falsely accused of arranging the murder of one of their workers (who had committed suicide). As a result, the government ordered the closing of all Russian Jewish printing presses (save for one press in Vilnius), and the brothers were incarcerated and flogged.
The brothers’ tremendous piety and fear of Heaven followed them to their cells. It is related that while walking through the two rows of soldiers who were administering the flogging, R. Shmuel Abba’s kippah (skullcap) fell off of his head, and he refused to proceed until it was returned, although he received additional blows as a result.
A miniature Torah scroll was smuggled into their cell during their incarceration to enable the brothers to study. This unique scroll later gifted to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who would dance with it every year on Simchat Torah.
R. Shmuel Abba passed away on 5 Adar I in the year 5624 from Creation (1864). Books printed in the Slavuta press remain prized collectors’ items to this day.
Links: My Son’s Badge of Honor; Eight Torah Scrolls as Amazing and Diverse as the Jewish People
Moses passed away on the 7th of Adar. Following G-d's instruction that Joshua should succeed him and lead the Jewish nation into the Land of Israel, Moses transferred leadership duties to Joshua on the day before he passed away. Thus the fifth day of Adar was the last day of Moses' leadership.
Link: Moses' Passing
In the future, says the prophet Isaiah, we will be consoled. Doubly consoled.
Because true consolation does not mean the anger and the wrath have passed, and now we can come out of hiding.
True consolation does not mean that everything is healed and now we are back together.
True consolation means to truly know that the anger and the wrath were nothing less than passionate, deep love, that all our troubles were really achieving something, something wondrous beyond our imagination. That it was all worthwhile, really worthwhile.
In true consolation, we look back and we can no longer find anything for which we must be consoled.
One day, we will find only joy and laughter.