Rav Aryeh Leib Ginzburg of Mitz
The Shaagas Aryeh, a towering gaon who served as Rav of Metz and whose sefer is still quoted in halachic debate.
Biography
Early years
Rav Aryeh Leib Ginzburg zt"l, the Rav of Metz, known as the Shaagas Aryeh after his sefer, was born in Lithuania in 5455 (1695). His father, Rav Osher, was Rav in Pinsk and one of the leading rabbanim of his time. Rav Aryeh Leib was renowned for his hasmadah (diligence in learning).
It is related that once, in Frankfurt, he stayed at the home of Rav Pinchos Horowitz, author of the Haflo'a and Panim Yofos. The guest, who seemed to be a simple man, asked for three Gemaros for the night: Yevamos, Kesubos and Kiddushin. The Haflo'a was surprised but gladly gave them to him.
Some hours later the Haflo'a peeked into the guest's room and saw him learning daf by daf. By morning the guest had finished all three masechtos, no small feat by any standard. When the Haflo'a began to ask him questions on what he had learned, within minutes he realized that his guest was none other than Rav Aryeh Leib, the Shaagas Aryeh.
Torah and leadership
Among the places Rav Aryeh Leib served were Pinsk, where he was rav; Minsk, where he founded a yeshiva; and Volozhin, where he led a yeshiva and where Rav Chaim Volozhiner was one of his prized talmidim. In Minsk he came into a bitter dispute with the Gaon Rav Yechiel Halpern, and Rav Yechiel's supporters eventually drove him out of the city. Even after the sefer Shaagas Aryeh was published, he found it hard to secure a suitable position and was repeatedly forced to move on.
It is told that he was led out of Minsk on an oxen cart. As he left, stung by the insult, he said, "What, Minsk isn't burning yet?" Legend has it that for years afterward the Jews of Minsk blamed any fire that broke out on his curse.
His most famous sefer, Shaagas Aryeh ("Roar of the Lion"), was first published in Frankfurt am Main in 1755. It is still frequently quoted in halachic debate, as are many of his teshuvos (responsa). After its publication he became known by the name of his sefer.
In 5526 (1766) he was appointed Rav of Metz, where he served for the rest of his life. He was nearly seventy at the time, and the leaders of the community were concerned because of his age. He asked them how long they expected a rav to serve. "About twenty years," they answered. He passed away twenty years later, at ninety.
Early on, a disagreement with his congregation led him to refuse to enter the shul except to give four sermons a year. Even so, he kept his position until the end of his life.
Chassidim considered him the definitive talmid chacham (Torah scholar) of the generation. They relate that the Baal Shem Tov sought him out and served him by putting his shoes on for him. The Gaon of Vilna, too, met the Shaagas Aryeh and testified that he could recall the entire order of the Shas in his memory within a single hour of thought.
Teachings and seforim
Rav Aryeh Leib wrote Shaagas Aryeh, Gevuras Ari on Maseches Yoma, and Turei Even on Maseches Rosh Hashanah.
Later years and passing
A few months before his passing, Rav Aryeh Leib invited the community to a siyum on Shas. He was in especially high spirits, and when he was asked the reason for his simchah, he explained that this was his thousandth siyum on Shas.
It is told that once, as he learned, a bookcase fell on him and buried him under books. His talmidim rescued him after an hour or so, and he told them that he had been covered by the seforim of the authors with whom he had quarreled. He had asked forgiveness from each of them, and all had forgiven him except one, Rav Mordechai Yoffe, the Levush. Knowing then that his time was short, he recited the verse "Aryeh shoag, mi lo yirah" (the lion roars, who is not afraid). Here Aryeh refers to himself, and mi, "who," is also the first letters of Mordechai Yoffe.
Rav Aryeh Leib passed away in Metz on 25 Tammuz 5545 (1785), at the age of ninety.
Stories
Blumka's Kloiz
The Shaagas Aryeh was a great gaon, yet he had his detractors. When he set up his yeshiva in Minsk, not all the citizens and residents counted among his supporters. So many could not stand his sharp wit and criticism that one erev Shabbos his opponents took him and his wife, loaded them and their meager possessions onto a cart, and sent them out of town. They went so far out that the couple would have been stranded, with no means even to make Shabbos.
Among the masses, one poor, simple woman appreciated the Shaagas Aryeh's greatness. She was not swayed by the machlokes (dispute) or by his detractors. Her name was Blumka, and she made her living selling candles and challah. As the Shaagas Aryeh was led away in disgrace, she pushed her way through the crowd until she reached the cart. She handed him and his wife candles and three challos for Shabbos, so that they would at least not lack these few necessities.
The Shaagas Aryeh was deeply moved and gave her a berachah: "May Hashem repay your kindness and reward you with wealth and honor." Blumka eventually became a wealthy businesswoman and built a shul that was called Blumka's Kloiz.
The Shaagas Aryeh's Sefer
Rav Neta Freund related that the reason the sefer Shaagas Aryeh deals so much with Maseches Berachos was simply that the Shaagas Aryeh was so poor that he could not afford to buy a Shas, and he did not own many volumes of Gemara at all.
A wealthy merchant woman who recognized the value of Torah study owned a large, beautiful Shas. She used to lend out one volume at a time to various rabbanim and talmidei chachamim as they needed. To the Shaagas Aryeh she lent the volume of Maseches Berachos. A week later the Gaon tried to return it and exchange it for another masechta. She answered, "Oh no, you cannot fool or cheat me so quickly. No one can finish learning a masechta so fast, no way."
And so the Shaagas Aryeh was forced to keep Maseches Berachos for a long time, and much of his sefer was therefore written on topics found in it.
A Berachah for Rav Zalmale of Volozhin
When the Shaagas Aryeh left Minsk he traveled to Volozhin and settled there for some time. He served as the Rav of Volozhin but did not remain there long, because the salary was very poor.
Among the baalei batim was one wealthy Jew, Rav Yitzchok, later famous as the father of Rav Chaim, the rosh yeshiva and author of Nefesh HaChaim, and of his brother Rav Zalmale of Volozhin. He had an extensive library of seforim, and the Shaagas Aryeh was a frequent guest in his home, studying Torah.
Once, while the Shaagas Aryeh was learning, Rav Yitzchok's wife, who was expecting a baby, was seized with strong labor pains. She knew that the Shaagas Aryeh was sitting and learning in the next room, and she did not want to cause him any bitul Torah, so she held back from crying out. Silently she bore the pains so as not to disturb his learning. Eventually the Shaagas Aryeh learned of this and was so moved by her mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) that he gave her a berachah. "Ribbono Shel Olam, this woman held back from calling out for the sake and honor of Torah. In this zechus, bless her that the son born to her grow to be such a great Torah scholar that the entire world will know of his genius." The child was named Rav Shlomo Zalman, and he grew to become the great Rav Zalmale Volozhiner.
The Thieves and the Tefillin
The Shaagas Aryeh was once traveling by covered wagon when thieves set upon them and tried to rob the driver of his money.
The Shaagas Aryeh was sitting, robed in tallis and crowned in tefillin, learning. When he heard the commotion and understood what was happening, he put his head out of the wagon to see what was going on. The thieves saw his face and fled, terror-struck, running for their lives at the sight of the holy tzaddik.
The wagon driver was amazed. "Rebbe, why did those robbers turn tail and run away like that all of a sudden?" The Shaagas Aryeh answered him, "It says in the Torah, 'And all the nations of the world shall see that the name of Hashem is called upon you, and they shall fear you.' Chazal teach that this pasuk refers to tefillin. When they saw the tefillin on my head, they ran for their lives."
Go Gezunterheit
When the Shaagas Aryeh was appointed Rav of Metz, one wealthy merchant, Yehuda Charif, refused to sign the document appointing him. He based his refusal on the fact that the Shaagas Aryeh had served only as Rav of Volozhin, a small town, and as rosh yeshiva of Minsk. How could those positions compare to the great city of Metz?
One day Yehuda Charif's daughter lost her sanity. She became so ill that the doctors knew no cure, and the family suffered greatly. With medicine having given up on her, Yehuda Charif turned to any possible source of help. Eventually he heard of a Baal Shem who was supposed to be able to cure anyone. When this impostor came to Metz, the Shaagas Aryeh, who was well acquainted with this man and his kind, sent the fake Baal Shem packing and chased him out of town.
Yehuda Charif was incensed. He already disliked the Shaagas Aryeh and held a grudge against him, and now the Rav had chased away his daughter's possible cure. He decided that enough was enough, and he sent his poor, sick daughter to the Shaagas Aryeh. She was disturbed, and she would sing, dance and make a disturbance at all hours of the day. Her noise so disturbed the Shaagas Aryeh that he could not learn Torah. He turned to her gently and said softly and kindly, "My daughter, why are you acting so crazy? For how long will you be this way? Please go home gezunterheit" (which literally means "go home healthy"). And so she did. She went home healed and healthy, sound in body and mind.
"Please, Daddy," she said to her amazed father, "please change my tattered and ripped dress." Yehuda Charif fell before the Shaagas Aryeh, begging the Rav's forgiveness and asking to be allowed to add his name to the certificate of appointment. From then on his great affection for the Shaagas Aryeh knew no bounds, and they became great friends. He followed the Rav's piskei halacha and lent his hand to help the new Rav of Metz.
Seforim
- Shaagas Aryeh: His most famous sefer, first published in Frankfurt am Main in 1755. The title means "Roar of the Lion," and it is still frequently quoted in halachic debate.
- Gevuras Ari: On Maseches Yoma.
- Turei Even: On Maseches Rosh Hashanah.
Family & talmidim
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@{name=Rav Chaim Volozhiner}:
Also on 25 Tammuz
All hilulos on 25 Tammuz ›Historical sources
- Hamodia
- Hillula Kadisha
- Maasei Tzaddikim
- Toldos Rabbeinu HaShaagas Aryeh