4 Av 5380
Rav Menachem Azariah of Pano was born in 5308 in the city of Pano, Italy, to his father, Rav Yitzhak Berachiah, who was one of the city’s sages. His rebbi muvhak was Rabbi Yishmael Chananya Val-Montini, and at the same time, he studied Toras Hasod under his uncle, Harav Ezra MiPano.
When he became of age, Rabbi Yitzchak Puah of Mantua, one of the leading rabbanim of Italy, took him as a son-in-law. He settled in Mantua and established a yeshivah there, which drew many talmidim. His reputation began to spread, and while he was still a young man, he became renowned as one of the gedolei hador.
In 5357, Rav Yisrael Srug came to Italy and the Rem"a learned the concepts of Toras Ha’Ari from him, and then disseminated what he had learned throughout Italy.
More than thirty of the Rem"a’s written works have survived, most of them in Kabbalah and a few in Toras Hanigleh. Some were printed in a number of editions while others are still in manuscript form and kept in various libraries.
The Rem"a passed away in Mantua on 4 Av 5380, and was buried in the cemetery in the city. Rav Boruch of Kossov, in his sefer Amud Ha’avodah (Drush Hamachshavah 10) describes his passing: "And I heard and received from those who speak the truth that the death of the Rem"a MiPano was a missas neshikah, and his soul was bound On High and it came down to this earth, tossed like an inanimate stone, and it remained dead on the ground, and maybe it be that my end is like his, fortunate is he."
The wall surrounding the old cemetery in Mantua where the Rem"a MiPano is buried
