The Mystery of Menachem Mendel's Disappearance: Unraveling the Secrets

During the intermediate days of Sukkot in the year 1776, Menachem Mendel the Kohen bade farewell to his wife, Hinda. As he did every night during the holiday, Menachem Mendel went to sleep in the sukkah, while his wife returned to their home. Hinda was the daughter of one of the city's rabbis, Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke the Kohen. In those chilly regions, only a few were meticulous about sleeping in the sukkah. Most would sleep in their homes, since discomfort exempted one from the sukkah. Menachem Mendel, however, was strict with himself and slept in the sukkah. Located at the edge of the town due to lack of permit for such structures within the crowded area, the sukkah was Menachem Mendel’s resting place.

In the middle of the night, cracking sounds were heard, and flames could be seen. Perhaps Menachem Mendel had left a candle burning in the sukkah, or maybe he had lit wood for warmth. A large fire consumed the entire sukkah, and nobody could approach it. When morning came and people neared the site, no trace was found. The sukkah was entirely burned, and Menachem Mendel was missing. The absence of even the smallest remains of his body sparked a wave of rumors among both Jews and non-Jews, especially since the fire’s location was closer to where the non-Jews lived, not the Jewish sector.

The town’s rabbis collected all the testimonies they could. The first witness was Beila, the sister of Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke. According to her, an elderly convert named Yoshtshikha entered her shop and told Beila that despite all the rumors about Menachem Mendel being alive and having fled somewhere, it was clear he was dead. She even added, "May my hand be cut off if he is alive." Her testimony seemed to be a spontaneous remark, without even being questioned.

Another convert claimed that during the fire, Menachem Mendel jumped out of the sukkah’s window and ran because his clothes caught fire. Just beyond where his sukkah stood, there were marshes behind the town, and he supposedly drowned in them. She mentioned that when it would be possible to search the swamp’s bottom, his bones might be found. However, she also added that some say Menachem Mendel secretly traveled to Dubno, where he converted. Later, an anonymous letter from Dubno claimed to have seen Menachem Mendel there in non-Jewish attire.

The people of the town and Menachem Mendel’s family worked tirelessly to uncover the truth to free Hinda from her marital uncertainty. A Jew named Eliyahu spoke with Antony, the judge, whose home was near the site of the incident. Not questioning him directly—since a non-Jew’s testimony to release an agunah is only valid if it seems spontaneous—Eliyahu relayed that he’d invest a significant amount to find the husband. The judge responded, "Don’t spend a penny; it’s clear he’s dead and drowned in the swamps. Many have seen this."

Another Jew named Menachem Mendel testified that a non-Jew took him to the bridge over the swamps and pointed out the suspected place where Menachem Mendel drowned. There were even traces of human bones there. Another non-Jew said that Rabbi Menachem Mendel was so holy and pure that he must have been the Messiah for the Jews, and thus the non-Jews envied him and wanted him dead.

Rabbi Meir Margolies of Ostroh, known as the "Meir Natibot," gathered all the testimonies—only a portion of which are mentioned here—and wrote an extensive halachic response allowing for Hinda’s remarriage, arguing that the evidence was indeed halachically valid. However, in cases of agunah, multiple rabbinical authorities’ consent is usually required; one authority’s permission isn’t enough. Therefore, the question was referred to Rabbi Raphael the Kohen from Hamburg. Rabbi Raphael wrote that Hinda could remarry "if ten of the greatest authorities agree with me." The issue was then brought to the famous "Noda B'Yehuda," who wrote that based on the testimonies available at the time, she shouldn’t be allowed to remarry.

Until now, this information is from rabbinical responsa, but historical literature adds another chapter...

Historians describe that eventually, after several years, Hinda was released from her agunah status due to a new testimony revealing a clear account of her husband’s death. She later married the grandson of the "Noda B'Yehuda," who initially prohibited her remarriage based on the first testimonies but likely supported the final permission upon further evidence.