RYMANOWER (of Rymanow), MENAHEM MENDEL

RYMANOWER (of Rymanow ), MENAHEM MENDEL (d. 1815), ḥasidic ẓaddik. A pupil of *Elimelech of Lyzhansk, he was born in Przytyk but spent most of his life in Rymanow. Ḥasidic tradition relates that in his youth he attended various yeshivot, finally settling at that of Shmelke of Nikolsburg (Mikulov). Legends about Menahem Mendel are included in stories concerning his pupil, Naphtali Ẓevi *Ropshitser. An ascetic, he became known for his regulations dealing with women's dress; he also instituted regulations concerning weights and measures. According to legend, he saw the Napoleonic wars as the battles of Gog and Magog which will precede redemption and the coming of the Messiah and he prayed for Napoleon's victory. Menahem Mendel appears in *David of Makow's list (1798–1800) of the cursed ẓaddikim of the generation (Shever Poshe'im, in M. Wilensky's Ḥasidim u-Mitnaggedim, 2 (1970), 102).

Menahem Mendel's works are Ilana de-Ḥayyei (1908), a commentary on the Pentateuch; Menaḥem Ẓiyyon (1851), sermons for Sabbath and festivals, collected by his pupil Ezekiel *Panet;Divrei Menaḥem (1863), sermons for Sabbath; Ateret Menaḥem (1910), practical talks and interpretations of the law; and Torat Menaḥem (1876), sermons on the weekly portions.

bibliography:

M. Buber, Tales of the Hasidim, 2 (1966³) 123–38; idem, Gog u-Magog (1967²); L.I. Newman, Ḥasidic Anthology (1963), index s.v.Rimanover The Menachem Mendel; Dubnov, Ḥasidut, 318–9, 458; Horodezky, Ḥasidut, index; M.E. Gutman, R. Mendel mi-Rymanow (1953); idem, Mi-Gedolei ha-Ḥasidut, 3–4 (1931); L.H. Grosman, Shem u-Sherit (1943), 101.

[Esther (Zweig) Liebes]