‘If Rabbi Schneersohn Would Behave like All Rabbonim…’

R. Menachem Mendel Gluskin (5638-5697) was raised in Paritch, where his father served as the Rov. A great talmid chacham in both nigleh and Chassidus, R. Mendel became the son-in-law of the famous non-Chassidishe Rov of Minsk, R. Eliezer Rabinowitz. He served as Rov in various towns, including Paritch, before being appointed in 5624 to succeed his father-in-law as Rov of Minsk, a large and prestigious community.

During this time, Communist oppression increased, and R. Mendel fought valiantly to preserve Yiddishkeit, despite being arrested and expelled from his home as a result. He was a prominent member of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s underground network in Soviet Russia, nicknamed Seder Hadoros in their secret correspondence, after the author of Seder Hadoros, R. Yechiel Halperin, the Rov of Minsk centuries earlier.

In 5695, R. Mendel accepted the position of Rov of Leningrad, where he continued his work with mesiras nefesh until his untimely passing two years later.

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R. Shmerel Sasonkin recalls a private conversation he held with R. Gluskin in Leningrad:

Once, when no one was around, I questioned him about his interrogations with the NKVD. He shared that they asked about his connection to “Rabbi Schneersohn.” He told them that he had been in contact, but he discontinued when he was told that it wasn’t to the government’s liking.

He then asked his interrogator why they had such hate for the Frierdiker Rebbe, when there were other rabbonim and tzadikim. The man replied, “If Rabbi Schneersohn would behave like all rabbonim and just bless his followers, we would remain silent. However, he doesn’t sit still and is unceasingly active in spreading Yiddishkeit!

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R. Gluskin had a charm to him, and no one felt offended by him even when he put them in their place. Once, his brother-in-law, Professor Shaul Lieberman, repeated a comment insinuating that the chassidishe shtiblach are unnecessary.

R. Gluskin replied with a smile, “I still think every town needs a chassidishe shteibel. Inevitably one will end up stepping inside, and there he will be told who he really is…”