13 Iyar: Memory of Rabbi Menachem Mendel from France (5701/1941)

Life in Paris and Corsica

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn was the brother of the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Rebbe Rashab. Unlike his elder brother, who chose the path of leading the Chassidic movement, Rabbi Menachem Mendel lived in Paris, where he led a modest life devoted to Torah study and prayer. With the onset of World War II and the occupation of France, he was forced to flee to Corsica, to the city of Ajaccio, where he found himself in extremely difficult conditions.

The Sixth Rebbe's Concern

The Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, who was by that time in America, followed the fate of Rabbi Menachem Mendel with great anxiety. Despite all rescue efforts, communication with Corsica was virtually impossible, and Rabbi Menachem Mendel passed away in exile in 5701 (1941), far from family and community.

The Miracle of the Intact Body

Fifteen years after the burial in Corsica, when the remains of Rabbi Menachem Mendel were transferred for reburial on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, an astonishing event occurred: his body was found completely intact — fully preserved despite the passage of years. This was perceived as a sign of extraordinary holiness. In memory of Rabbi Menachem Mendel, a special edition of the Tanya — the foundational work of Chabad Chassidism — was published, serving as a tribute to his spiritual legacy.