Bidspirit auction | “But Hashem is the Merciful

“But Hashem is the Merciful Father” Letter from the Admor Rabbi Menachem Mendel Halberstam of Stropkov, Written Only Months After the End of the Holocaust. Gutenberg, Switzerland, 1945 * Handwritten and autographed letter by the Admor Rabbi Menachem Mendel Halberstam of Stropkov, written during his stay in Switzerland, in Kislev 1945, less than a year after the end of the Holocaust, in which most of his family was murdered. The letter contains many details regarding his recovery after the horrors of the Holocaust: his decision to travel to the United States out of sheer necessity, the obtaining of visas for America and his dealings with the American consulate, his reluctance to travel to Eretz Yisrael because of the situation there — “ a feeling of dread comes over a person at the thought of journeying from one place of exile to another place of exile that is unsafe” — and sending of food and rescue funds to Europe, among other matters. In the previous letter, the recipient sent to the Rebbe, it appears he reported that family members were no longer alive. To this, the Rebbe responds: “Your letter reached me, and trembling seized me as I read it, from the depth of the bitterness, but Hashem is the Merciful Father, and I do not wish to lengthen this with words of consolation…” The  Admor Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Stropkov (1873–1954) , author of Divrei Menachem, was the eldest son of Rabbi Shalom of Stropkov, author of Divrei Shalom, son of Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga of Shinova, author of Divrei Yechezkel, son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, who served as his sandak. His mother passed away in his youth, and he grew up in the home of his holy grandfather of Shinova. Already at a young age, Rabbi Shmuel Engel praised his knowledge and sharpness. During the war, he escaped to Budapest and hid together with Rabbi Aharon of Belz, who even gave him a kvittel, and from there he escaped to Switzerland. When he arrived in America in 1947, he was regarded as a “brand plucked from the fire, ” one of the last remnants of the great pre-war generation, and all the Rebbes held him in great esteem. He became known as a tzaddik and miracle worker, and people from across the United States streamed to him seeking salvation and mercy. He served as sandak for the Admor Rabbi Aharon of Satmar, at the instruction of the Divrei Yoel, as well as for the Rebbe of Sanz. The Rebbes of Satmar and Skver were present at his bedside when he passed away. The letter was printed in Divrei Menachem , new edition (Jerusalem 2019), pp. 170–172. Gutenberg, Switzerland, 1945. Entirely in the Rebbe’s handwriting and with his signature. Size : Approx. 21×29.3 cm. Condition : Good, with minor tears to margins.