Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel Slonim

Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel Slonim (19 Kislev 5559 – 24 Shevat 5648 / December 1798 – February 1888) was a daughter of the Mitteler Rebbe who emigrated to the Land of Israel and settled in Hebron.

Life

Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel was born on Tuesday, 19 Kislev 5559 (December 1798) — the very day the Alter Rebbe was released from imprisonment in St. Petersburg.

When her father the Mitteler Rebbe was told that a daughter had been born to him, he said: "From now on, menuchah — rest — shall be ours." He therefore named her Menucha. The name Rochel was given in memory of the Alter Rebbe's youngest daughter Rachel, who had passed away in her youth.

Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel longed deeply to emigrate to the Land of Israel. On one occasion she fell gravely ill and the doctors despaired of her recovery. Her father instructed that his name be whispered in her ear, along with the promise that she would recover and merit to ascend to the Holy Land — and she immediately recovered.

After her marriage to the tzaddik (righteous man) Rabbi Yaakov Kuli Slonim, the couple settled in Lubavitch. In 1832 (5592) her eldest son, the tzaddik Rabbi Yehuda Leib Slonim, was born; in 1833 (5593) her son Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was born; and in 1840 (5600) her son Rabbi Mordechai Dovber was born.

In the Holy Land

Acting on the counsel of the Tzemach Tzedek (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn), Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel emigrated with her family to the Holy Land in 1845 (5605) and settled in Hebron.

Before departing, she went to take leave of the Tzemach Tzedek and expressed her concern about traveling in heavy rain. He replied: "So what? Travel between the raindrops!" From that day forward, not a single raindrop fell upon her until the last day of her life.

Upon arriving in Hebron, she established the local Chabad community. Jews of the city — and even non-Jews — regarded her as a tzaddekes (a righteous and holy woman) and called her "Di Bobe Menucha Rochel" (Yiddish: the grandmother Menucha Rochel). Many came to receive her blessing. The Admor of Lelov (Rabbi Elazar Mendel) would visit her home whenever he was in Hebron, standing in her presence throughout the visit and requesting her blessing before departing. Many stories are told of the wonders she performed. Every bride would first visit the Cave of Machpelah and then come to Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel to receive her blessing.

She was meticulous never to discard or waste any food from Shabbos, a practice she had received from the Alter Rebbe. She educated those around her and set a personal example in purity and cleanliness, saying in the name of her grandfather and her father: "Wherever there is purity and cleanliness, there is kashrus and Judaism."

Passing and Legacy

Shortly before her passing, Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel called her granddaughter Marat Mushka Devorah — who was preparing for her upcoming wedding — and told her not to look for an apartment or purchase items for the wedding, as she was giving her her home and all its contents as a gift. The Rebbetzin passed away shortly thereafter, and the home passed to her granddaughter.

On the eve of Rosh Chodesh Shevat 5648 (1888), she wrote a letter to the Rebbe Rashab (Rabbi Shalom Dovber Schneersohn). She handed it to her grandson Rabbi Zev Dov to send by post, cautioning him not to open it. Sensing that it contained something significant, he brought it to his father, Rabbi Yehuda Leib. Upon opening it, they discovered that the Rebbetzin had written that this was her final letter to the Rebbe Rashab.

On the last night of her life, she asked her granddaughter Pesha Hadassah (Slonim, later Halperin), who was about twelve years old and customarily slept beside her, to go home — and asked instead that her elderly maidservant Zissel, who was about ninety years old, stay with her. In the middle of the night she woke Zissel and asked her to boil water so that she could bathe and change her clothes. She then asked that all family members be summoned, and throughout this time her lips were moving in prayer. In her final moments, Rabbi Ephraim HaLavan (one of Hebron's rabbis) sat at her bedside. Sensing that the end was near, he rose to call a minyan (a quorum of ten men for prayer) to be present at the moment of her passing, but the Rebbetzin — fully lucid — gestured to him not to go, saying that there would not be time. She then said: "My forebears are here with me" — and her soul departed.

During the tahara (the ritual preparation of the body for burial, performed by the Chevra Kadisha — the Jewish burial society), the Chevra Kadisha asked her to straighten herself, and she did so.

All the Jews of Hebron attended her funeral. The children of the city walked before the bier holding lit candles and reciting Psalms.

Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel passed away on 24 Shevat 5648 (February 1888) and is buried in Hebron.

Annual Commemoration

In 5742 (1982), the Gaon and Chassid Rabbi Shmuel Elazar Halperin initiated the renewal of annual pilgrimages to her grave on her yahrzeit (anniversary of passing) — the first since the liberation of Hebron in the Six-Day War. The initiative received the blessing and encouragement of the Rebbe. Since then — with the exception of 5748 (1988), when security conditions prevented it — hundreds of her descendants and Chabad Chassidim from across Israel make the pilgrimage each year, particularly women, who come in large numbers both on the yahrzeit and throughout the year.

There is also a widespread practice of naming daughters after her; hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of Jewish girls proudly carry her name.

The Menucha Rochel Synagogue, named in her honor, is the oldest Chabad synagogue in the world and today also houses part of the activities of Chabad of Hebron.

Family

Sons:

Daughters:

Marat Roza Mina (husband: Rabbi Boruch Mordechai Efrat)
Marat Sara Freida (husband: Rabbi Binyamin Rivlin)
Marat Starna Roza (husband: Rabbi Shalom Kazarnovsky)

Grandchildren:

Rabbi Zev Dov Slonim
Rabbi Avraham Zalman Kazarnovsky-Schneerson
Marat Mushka Devorah Epstein-Levin
Rebbetzin Pesha Hadassah Halperin
Rabbi Schneur Zalman Slonim — great-great-grandson of the Mitteler Rebbe
Rabbi Dovber Efrat

External Links

The Rebbetzin of Hebron, Karov Eilecha newsletter, issue 162, 21 Shevat 5777
A collection of wonderful stories about the righteous Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel (COL)
Walking Between the Raindrops — stories about the Rebbetzin, told by Rabbi Pischya Lipsker (COL, video)
Documents revealed: The shliach's petition and the restoration of the Rebbetzin's grave (COL)
Those Were the Days: The pilgrimage to the grave of Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel in 5742 (COL)