הרב מנחם מנדל מרימנוב

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Torem of Rimanov (5505/1745 – 19 Iyar 5575/1815) was among the greatest of the rebbes of Galicia and one of the first to spread chassidut in Poland. His father was Rabbi Yosef of Neustadt, av beit din and rosh mesivta in Pinczow, known as Rabbi Yosef Charif; his mother was Liba, daughter of Rabbi Natan Shapiro. He was a twofold grandson of the Megaleh Amukot of Krakow and a grandson of the Taz.

At eighteen he came for the first time to the Maggid of Mezritch, where he was known as an illui, and he was a talmid of Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg as well. His principal rebbi was Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, in whose house he served as the regular chazan for Shacharit of Rosh Hashanah, and he was among his best known talmidim. He served as rav of the town of Frystak, and after Rabbi Elimelech was niftar many of his chassidim came over to him — even older men among them, such as Rabbi Aharon Aryeh Leib of Premishlan and Rabbi Moshe of Przeworsk, traveled to him.

In Rimanov his name became known, and he was held to be a great yerei Shamayim, exacting with himself and with others; even those of his talmidim who were themselves rabbanim and rebbes did not recline in his presence at the seder. Once a month he sent men to examine the weights and measures in the shops of his town, he forbade the women of the town to adorn themselves in costly and colorful garments, and he gave away all his money to the poor. Most of his Torah turned on the parashah of the man, on which he spoke every Shabbat for twenty-two years, as Rabbi Meshullam Heller writes in his printer’s introduction to Menachem Tzion.

Among his talmidim were Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz, Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapira of Dinov, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Zidichov, Rabbi Yechezkel Paneth of Karlsburg and Rabbi Meir of Apta. On Lag BaOmer of 5575 he purified himself and said that he was leaving the world, and the next day, 19 Iyar, he was niftar and was buried in the Jewish cemetery of Rimanov; Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh, his attendant, took his place. His Torah was not printed in his lifetime and is scattered through the sefarim of his talmidim — Divrei Menachem on Tanach, Menachem Tzion, his derashot as set down by Rabbi Yechezkel Paneth, Ateret Menachem and Ilana D’Chayei.