R. Aryeh Leib, "Grandfather of Shpoli"

On his way back from participating in a brit milah ceremony in Bohuslav (in what is now Ukraine), R. Aryeh Leib, known as the “Grandfather of Shpoli” was crossing over the frozen Ros River when the ice suddenly broke beneath his feet. Miraculously he was ...

The wagon driver asked Reb Leib, “Please! Can you help me? I’m trying to push my heavy wagon out of the mud.” Reb Leib responded, "I'm sorry, but I am not capable of lifting such a heavy load. I simply can not.”

“In the morning, they found the idol on the floor with its head and hands cut off.” Living in the holy land of Israel was never a picnic. In the times of King Shaul and King David, there were constant wars.Time and again, the Pelishti people attacked the ...

"I’ll make you a deal," said the Rebbe. "I know a certain girl who is soon to get married and she still needs 300 rubles."

“It is true,” announced R. Leib, “that according to the law the plaintiff must take his suit to the defendant’s locale; but since in this case ‘there is no place devoid of His presence,’ we will try the case here in Shpoli . . .”

This triumphant tune is associated with the a Chassidic Rebbe’s self-sacrifice in saving the life of a fellow Jew. The story: It once happened that a Jew who had rented an inn from the local landlord had fallen behind in his payments and was jailed. The l...

This soulful melody is a dialogue between the Almighty Father and His children, the people of Israel

And G-d happened upon Bil'am… (23:4) The hallmark of evil and unholiness is an attitude of 'it just happened.' Nothing is coincidental to the Jew; every event is purposeful and significant. In the words of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov: "From everything that...

Tuesday Tevet 14 5703 Torah lessons: Chumash: Vay'chi, Shlishi with Rashi. Tehillim: 72-76. Tanya: This is what is called (p. 37)...in the holy Zohar. (p. 39). The Shpola Zeideh ("Grandfather of Shpola"), a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch, was a man of...