Rabbi Meir Gurekhov (or Gorkov; circa 5645 – 17 Nisan 5735) was a Chassid of Rebbe Rashab, Rebbe Rayatz, and the Rebbe. He was a student of the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Lubavitch, an active member of the Chabad underground in the Soviet Union who was arrested for his activities, and the author of the autobiographical Sefer HaZikaron - Divrei HaYamim.
He was born around 5645 (circa 1885) to his father, Reb Shmuel David Gurekhov. Initially, he studied in the city of Pochopev and was accepted into the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Zembin on 8 Nisan 5661, where he earned his rabbinic certification. On 8 Sivan 5665, he completed his studies and married his cousin, Faiga Rivka.
After his marriage, Rabbi Meir did not want to use Torah as a means of livelihood, so he worked and studied Torah during his free time. Around 5674 (1914), he settled in Kremenchug and initially engaged in commerce. However, when the Communists rose to power in 5678 (1918), his sources of income gradually ceased, forcing him to stop his business activities.
In the summer of 5684 (1924), he stayed in Petrograd and met privately with Rebbe Rayatz, who suggested he become an emissary. Rabbi Meir felt unworthy of the position and considered traveling for the benefit of the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Kremenchug instead, but the Rebbe's response to this idea was not definitive, though he seemed to agree.
For over two years, Rabbi Meir undertook this mission, but he did not see much success and became exhausted from the travels. In 5686 (1926), he moved from Kremenchug to Kharkov, where he engaged in private work at home.
In Tishrei 5699 (1938), the well-known informer David Yitzchak (David Itche) of Bobruisk, a former student of Tomchei Tmimim, arrived in Kharkov dressed in Chassidic garb. David Yitzchak asked a Chassid where he could stay, and, unaware of his true identity, the Chassid directed him to Rabbi Meir's house. During his visit, David Yitzchak gathered information on other Chassidim and stayed with several of them, including Rabbi Avraham Baruch Pievzner and Rabbi Nachum Yitzchak Pinson.
A month or two later, on a Shabbat before Mincha, NKVD agents visited the homes of several Chassidim, including Rabbi Meir's. From that time on, the Chassidim avoided sleeping in their homes at night, as arrests typically occurred then. Rabbi Meir would sleep at his son-in-law, Rabbi Yisrael Yehuda Levin's house.
On 8 Adar, a secret meeting took place, where Rabbi Meir initiated the idea to establish a yeshiva in Kharkov after Pesach. On the night of Shushan Purim, following a farbrengen, the Chassidim returned home, believing that the 8th of March, International Women's Day in Russia, and the merit of Purim would protect them. However, that night, the NKVD conducted another wave of arrests, detaining five Chassidim: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Pievzner, Rabbi Pinson, Rabbi Tzemach Gurvich, and Rabbi Shmuel Katzman (who later managed to secure his release).
Rabbi Meir was accused of:
According to documents, the Chassidim were incriminated by David Itche. After nearly ten months of imprisonment and grueling interrogations, four Chassidim were exiled, and only Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Tzemach Gurvich survived.
Rabbi Meir was sentenced to five years of "free exile" in the city of Stepnyak, Karaganda Province, Kazakhstan. Initially, his wife traveled back and forth from Kharkov, but eventually, she joined him there until the end of his exile.
During his exile, World War II broke out, and the Germans captured Kharkov. Chabad Chassidim from there moved to Samarkand. When Rabbi Meir's exile ended in 5704 (1944), he also moved to Samarkand, dedicating himself to drawing Jewish youth closer to Torah.
After the war, Rabbi Meir left the Soviet Union. He spent some time in a concentration camp, later moved to Paris, and eventually settled in London.
On 15 Shevat 5715 (1955), his wife Faiga Rivka passed away, leaving him alone. He lived in the home of the Glick family, who provided for his needs.
From then until his passing, Rabbi Meir devoted himself to Torah study and communal work. His learning was thorough, ensuring he understood each topic well. He would write down his explanations in detail. His grandson, Rabbi Shalom Dovber Levin, testified that bundles of his writings on most of the Talmudic tractates and many sections of the Shulchan Aruch, especially the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, were preserved. Though he did not often present novel ideas, his writings demonstrated his deep analysis of the subjects and his clear explanations. Some of these were published in the Yagdil Torah journal.
He also frequently studied with students and was involved in communal needs, especially assisting the Tomchei Tmimim and Achei Tmimim yeshivas in Israel.
Rabbi Meir visited the Rebbe several times, with his last visit occurring on 10 Shevat 5730 (1970), the 20th anniversary of the Rebbe's leadership and the completion of the Sefer Torah of Mashiach. He was honored to roll the Sefer Torah after its completion on the eve of Shabbat, 10 Shevat.
In his later years, Rabbi Meir regularly prayed at the synagogue near his home. On Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach, 17 Nisan 5735, he did not come to the synagogue. When people came to check on him, they found him lying in bed, lifeless, with a book in his hands. He passed away at approximately 90 years old.
At the request of the Rebbe and Rebbe Rayatz, Rabbi Gurekhov recorded his memories of the self-sacrifice in Soviet Russia. In 5704 (1944), he sent his memoirs to the Kovetz Lubavitch and Rebbe Rayatz. In 5733 (1973), he entrusted them to his grandson, Rabbi Levin, for editing and submission to the Rebbe. In 5737 (1977), the Rebbe unexpectedly approved and published the book, adding a biography due to Rabbi Meir's passing. The book, titled Sefer HaZikaron - Divrei HaYamim, was published posthumously in 5737, though five chapters remain missing.
These memoirs cover a period of thirty years, from 5677 (1917) to 5707 (1947).