Rav Aryeh Leib of Shpola zt"l
הרב אריה לייב בן ברוך משפולא זצ"ל
Tishrei 6 , 5571
Rav Aryeh Leib of Shpola zt"l
Born in 5485 (1725). His father lived in a small village near Uman and worked as a tax collector on behalf of the Graf Potocki.
According to chassidic legend, before the Baal Shem Tov revealed himself he visited Rav Baruch’s home. Later on, Rav Baruch became an ardent chassid of the Baal Shem and asked him for a brachah for a son. The Baal Shem Tov promised him a child with the soul of the Maharal, and therefore his parents named him likewise Aryeh Leib.
The Baal Shem attended the bris milah and blessed the infant to live to be elderly like Avraham Ha’zaken and to be a Sabba, or Zeide in Yiddish, for all of Klal Yisrael. From then on, the child was known as the Zeide, a nickname that followed him his entire life and, in his later years when he became rebbe, he was known as the Shpola Zeide.
He received his tradition in Toras Hachassidus from Rav Pinchas Koritzer. At his rebbe’s instruction, the Zeide married the daughter of the shochet of Midvodevka, and they settled there after the wedding.
As his father-in-law grew older, he wished for Rav Aryeh Leib to succeed him as the local shochet. Rav Pinchas disagreed with this idea and travelled together with the Zeide to consult with the Baal Shem Tov. After two weeks there, the Baal Shem Tov ordered Rav Aryeh Leib, who was then about thirty, to take up the staff of a wanderer and go into exile for seven years.
He dressed in tattered beggars’ clothing and began his journey, wandering from town to town. Many tales are told of his galus, what he achieved spiritually, and especially how he saved impoverished Jewish renters from the debtors prison dungeons of wealthy Polish landlords and nobles, where the Jews were sentenced when they were unable to pay their debts.
During his galus in 5521 (1761), Rav Aryeh Leib settled in Zlatipola and accepted the simple position of shamash of the shul. But soon the wonders and miracles that he performed became known and many flocked to him for blessings and salvation. He lived in Zlatipola for eight years and then he moved to Shpola.
His visit to the Baal Shem Tov was a one-time occurrence, but he visited Rav Pinchos of Koritz many times. He also travelled often to Rav Yaakov Yosef Hakohen of Polnoy, where he once remained for three months, and would visit annually when he lived in Shpola.
Rav Aryeh Leib used to say: “I swear by my beard and peyos that Bnei Yisrael will not repent and do teshuvah through suffering, so why, Ribono Shel Olam, Master of the World, do You pain and torture them for naught? Be their loving Father and then they will repent and do teshuvah, returning to You!”
He stood out as a leader of the people and was famous for travelling to small towns and villages where his influence raised the downtrodden townsfolk’s spirits and lifted their morale. He prepared medicinal salves and balms, healing sick Jews, freeing captives and redeeming prisoners. Though he was a great scholar, few divrei Torah survive in his name.
When Rav Nachman of Breslov appeared and his influence spread within the Shpola Zeide’s sphere of influence, the Zeide disagreed with his derech, considering it relevant for later generations rather than their own. It is said that he remarked: “Who asked him [Rav Nachman of Breslov] to appear this early in history? Who told him to come in this generation?” Rav Nachman’s response to the Zeide’s remarks was: “Who told him to come so late? His approach is appropriate for earlier generations. That is why they call him Zeide!”
Even the gentiles acknowledged Rav Aryeh Leib’s greatness and came to him for brachos.
Every morning he would daven, saying: “May it be Your will, merciful Father, that You emanate upon me and upon all of Klal Yisrael, Your people, good blessings and salvation, words of comfort, and fulfill our physical and spiritual needs.”
Rav Aryeh Leib passed away on the 6th of Tishrei, 5571 (1811). No matzeiva was erected upon his grave in Shpola; there was only a simple wooden container inscribed with his name and yahrtzeit date, where the chassidim placed their kvitelach notes of petition and requests when they came to daven at his kever.
His children R’ Avraham, R’ Pesach and R’ Yaakov were neither rebbes nor rabbanim. They lived in Shpola and are all buried beside their father.
His biography and stories were printed in the collection Tiferes Maharal.
(See also Kahal Chassidim Hachadash, 104; Eretz Hachaim, 33; Sippurei Chassidim – Torah, 10, 252, 265, 268, 388, 399, 487; Sippurei Chassidim - Moadim, 28, 37, 54, 131, 268, 297, 314, 344, 394.)