Rabbeinu Menachem Mendel Kargow was born in Fürth in 1772. He studied under Rav Nosson Adler and Rav Pinchas Horowitz (author of Haflah) in Frankfurt, as well as Rav Yechezkel Landau (author of Noda B’yehuda) in Prague. After marrying the daughter of Rav Yosef Pozna (Av Bais Din of Posen), he moved to Paris to study under his esteemed brother-in-law Rav Baruch Weil. Although Rav Mendel never held an official position, he was recognized as one of the leading Torah scholars of the generation and attracted many students. He passed away on Erev Rosh Hashana of 1843.

Rav Mendel wrote numerous responsa, however, none were published during his lifetime. Two years after his death, two of his disciples published his famous work Gedulei Tahara on Hilchos Mikvaos. As an addendum to this work, they also compiled 40 responsa on various subjects. Close to 80 years later, when Rav Tzvi Dovid Hoffman published his sefer Melamed L’hoil, he included many of Rav Mendel’s responsa, which he had inherited as a manuscript.

Throughout his works, Rav Mendel also references his novellea on multiple mesechtos, including Pesachim, Yuma, Kedushin, Zevachim, Kerisus, Temura, and M’ila. Only one of these manuscripts (meseches Temura) was recovered and brought to print in 1979.