Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib of Sassov was born around the year 5505 (1745) to Rabbi Yaakov and Rivkah. He studied under Rebbe Shmelke of Nikolsburg for 13 years, as well as under Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk. He resided in the city of Apta (Opatów, Poland) and later moved to Sassov in Galicia, which became an important chasidic center. Rebbe Moshe Leib's activities in Apta and later in Sassov had a significant influence on the spread of the chasidic movement in Poland and Galicia. Among his students were Rebbe Tzvi Hirsh of Ziditchov, Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Kosov, the "Holy Jew" of Peshischa, and Rebbe Avraham David of Buchach. He became renowned as a wondrous advocate for and lover of all Jews who devoted himself to redeeming captives and helping others.
A miraculous story is told about his funeral: Years earlier, he had officiated over the wedding of two orphans, and the musicians at the wedding played a special melody. At the time of the funeral, those same musicians miraculously appeared, and when they heard which tzaddik was being buried, they remembered that when they had finished playing the special melody at the orphans' wedding, Rebbe Moshe Leib wished for himself: "May it be God's will that I be accompanied by this melody after my passing!" The mourners fulfilled the tzaddik's wish and accompanied him to his resting place with the special melody. He departed on the 4th of Shevat 5567 (1807), and his resting place is in Sassov.
When Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev’s daughter gave birth to a son, the date for the brit (circumcision ceremony) was set for the 4th of Shevat, 5567 (1807). Many important people gathered for the joyous occasion, including Torah scholars, chasidim, and men of good deeds, as well as simple folk who honored their Rebbe.
The holy Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev was accustomed to performing the mitzvah of the circumcision early in the morning, but this time he did not appear. The congregation waited a long time for his arrival, minutes turned into hours until some people’s patience was nearly exhausted.
Only several hours after midday did the Rebbe emerge from his room, circumcise his grandson, and name him Moshe Yehudah Leib. After the festive meal, his son-in-law, the father of the child, asked if he would reveal the reason for his delay, and after whom he had named the child. The tzaddik turned to the assembled crowd and told them the story behind the scenes:
Today, when I rose early in the morning as is my custom and prepared to bring my grandson into the covenant of our patriarch Abraham, I saw a great darkness covering the entire world. A prince of Israel, the tzaddik Rebbe Moshe Leib of Sassov had departed from this world. As I sat in mourning, grieving over the passing of the tzaddik, I heard a voice proclaiming: “Make way for Rebbe Moshe Yehudah Leib the son of Rabbi Yaakov, and go out to greet him!”
At the sound of the proclamation, holy and pure souls gathered to greet the tzaddik. But when Rebbe Moshe Leib arrived, surrounded by the souls of the righteous, suddenly a cry was heard that went from one end of the world to the other. At that moment, the tzaddik left the holy company and ran towards the sound, until he reached the entrance of Gehenom and immediately entered.
A great commotion arose in the upper world, and an order was immediately given to the angel of Gehenom not to ignite the fire while the tzaddik was there. The angel of Gehenom came to Rebbe Moshe Leib and asked him to leave the place, since as long as he was there, he had no permission to use the fire. The tzaddik replied: “I will not leave until all the souls here leave with me.” The angel asked him, “And why?” Rebbe Moshe Leib answered: “During my lifetime, I engaged in the mitzvah of redeeming captives and saved many souls, therefore I wish to save souls from their captivity here as well!”
The angel went to the Heavenly Court and reported Rebbe Moshe Leib’s demand. When the tzaddik's argument was heard before the Heavenly Court, they decided to bring the case before the Throne of Glory. When the court’s messenger reached him and informed him of the summons, the tzaddik replied: “All my life I devoted my soul to the mitzvah of redeeming captives and now, here in the world of truth when this mitzvah comes to my hand, shall I not fulfill it?! I will not move from here until I fulfill this mitzvah."
Rebbe Moshe Leib then raised his eyes to the Throne of Glory and said, “Master of the Universe, You know how great the mitzvah of redeeming captives is. Due to its great importance, You performed it Yourself, not through an angel and not through a messenger. When Israel was in Egypt, You descended in Your glory to redeem them from the house of bondage. Master of the Universe, I have held fast to Your attribute; all my days I labored in this mitzvah and all captives were worthy in my eyes. I did not distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. Here I have found so many captives, therefore I wish to fulfill this same mitzvah. And if not, it is better for me to remain with them in Gehenom and suffer like them, than to sit with the righteous and enjoy the radiance of the Divine Presence.”
Immediately, the Almighty ruled that Rebbe Moshe Leib could redeem as many souls from Gehenom as the number of captives he had redeemed during his lifetime. They checked and found that he had redeemed sixty thousand people in his lifetime! Legions of souls left Gehenom with him leading them, as he brought them to the Garden of Eden (and presumably, Rebbe Moshe Leib did not meticulously count the precise number and smuggled out a few extra). When I saw this, the tzaddik concluded, I left my room and named my grandson Moshe Yehudah Leib.
Lessons from the Story
Three things can be learned from this story. Two from Rebbe Moshe Leib, and the third from Rebbe Levi Yitzchak’s contemplation of the scene.
First, whatever a Jew does in this lifetime, he continues to do in the afterlife. Although in the afterlife there is apparently no relevance to serving God, and it is the time for receiving reward, Rebbe Moshe Leib engaged in redeeming captives all his life, and so he did in the afterlife. For him, there is no reason for reward as long as the mitzvah he engaged in can still be performed by him.
Second, we can learn the importance and the value of the mitzvah of redeeming captives. Redeeming captives is described by the sages as a “great mitzvah” (הָּבַהרָוְצִמ) an expression used only for this mitzvah and for the mitzvah of procreation. In our generation, these two mitzvot unite in the effort to bring Jews back to God. Making someone into a ba’al teshuvah includes both spiritual procreation—one who teaches his fellow is as if he gave birth to him—as well as redeeming captives—there is no greater redemption of captives than to redeem a Jew from a foreign culture.
The third thing relates to the days of Shovavim (the weeks we read the Torah portions from Shemot through Mishpatim) during which Rabbi Moshe Leib’s day of passing falls every year. It is customary to focus on rectifying our covenant of procreation during this time of the year. When Rebbe Levi Yitzchak wanted to approach his grandson’s brit, he first sat in intense devotion and contemplated the heavenly scene unfolding before his eyes for many hours. From this, much can be learned about rectifying the covenant in our own souls. When a Jew has seen forbidden images or events, even when he fully repents for having seen them, a negative impression that harms him in his continued service of God remains.
How can these images be erased from memory without being pushed into the subconscious where they might, God forbid, do additional harm? When a chasidic story is told with pleasure, in a vivid, detailed, and tangible manner, it erases a thousand images from the unconscious of the person and rectifies the negative impression they leave behind. Thus, one can “come to the brit” of the person and rectify the soul.
