Passing of the famed Torah scholar and mystic Rabbi Chayim ben Attar (1696-1743), author of the Ohr HaChayim commentary on the Torah. Born in Morocco, he also lived and taught in Algiers, Italy, Acco and Jerusalem, where he settled a year before his passing. Many stories are told of his holiness and greatness, and of the repeated unsuccessful attempts by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov to reach the Holy Land and meet with him in the belief that together they could bring the Moshiach and the final redemption.
R. Aryeh Leib was an outstanding scholar known for his diligence in study and penetrating analysis. He served as rabbi of Metz and authored Shaagas Aryeh, a collection of analytical discourses on the laws of Orach Chaim (daily life and the festivals). This classic work enjoys much fame and is indispensable for any serious student who desires to plumb the depths of Jewish law.
In addition to Shaagas Aryeh, R. Aryeh Leib authored Turei Even and Gevuras Ari, in-depth commentaries to a number of Talmudic tractates.
Link: Shaagas Aryeh
Perhaps a person will say,
“I cannot fathom an infinite Creator, so why should I attempt to do so?”
“And why should I attempt to awaken my heart to show Him love? What can the love of this puny creature provide Him?”
“So I will just serve Him in complete surrender, doing that which is to be done, connecting to a will and desire far beyond my own.”
Such a person may be wise, but he is wrong.
Yes, it is absurd, but G‑d desires to be grasped by your human mind.
Yes, it is inconceivable, but He desires to find a home within the innermost chamber of your heart, no matter how tiny that place may be.
For this He created you, so that He could dwell within your world.
Serve G‑d with all your heart and all your mind—because that too is His unfathomable, unbounded desire.