Bidspirit auction | A Sharp, Polemical Letter from

A Sharp, Polemical Letter from the Holy Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Pabianice, Son of the 'Sfas Emes' of Gur – Against Those Using His Name Fraudulently - Pabianice, 1929. This rare and intense letter was written by the esteemed Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Pabianice, the son of the renowned 'Sfas Emes' of Gur, in response to a communal activist who forged his signature. The activist falsely used an old proclamation, supposedly signed by Rabbi Mendel and other rabbis, to support his own charity. However, the rabbi and others had long since withdrawn their support from this charity and instead supported a different charity under the leadership of Rabbi Meir Ben Zion. In the letter, Rabbi Menachem Mendel details the entire incident, presenting his strong objections and explaining the positions of the rabbis whose signatures were also forged. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Pabianice , known as Reb Mendel Pabianicer, served as the Av Beit Din of Kalisz (1877-1942). He was the youngest and beloved son of the 'Sfas Emes' of Gur. His towering status in the Jewish community was due both to his immense Torah scholarship and his spiritual and religious strength. He served as the chairman of the Rabbinical Association in Poland and was a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel. He was a prominent figure in Warsaw’s Jewish community, founded several newspapers opposing the secular press, and fought against the 'Shechita Decree.' During the horrific years of the Holocaust, he led the faithful Jewish community in the ghetto, using his high standing to reinforce religious matters. He also served as a rabbi and accepted questions from the community, even during the lifetime of his elder brother, the 'Imrei Emes.' The 'Imrei Emes' himself would often direct his followers with complex questions to consult with his brother, Rabbi Mendel, for guidance and blessings. A special conversation between the two holy brothers was preserved from the time of the Bar Mitzvah of the youngest son of the 'Imrei Emes, ' the 'Pnei Menachem Zt''l. They reminisced about their father, the 'Sfas Emes.' The 'Imrei Emes, ' in his humility, remarked that since they had outlived their father, ”One doesn’t know what to do in these years; you’re also over 60 years old, and our father didn’t live to see these years, so one doesn’t know how to act.” To this, the Pabianicer Rav humbly replied that he couldn’t have acted like him (his father) even in earlier years. After the Bar Mitzvah, it is known that Rabbi Menachem Mendel went on a mission for his brother, the Rebbe, to the graves of the righteous in Przysucha, to beseech for the salvation of the Jewish people. He was martyred in the Treblinka extermination camp, may God avenge his blood. A polemical and extremely rare letter! 1 page, official letterhead, fair condition, with tears causing slight text loss, stains, and wear.