Rav Aryeh Leib was born in 5455/1695 in Lithuania. His father was Rav Osher, Rav in Pinsk and one of the leading Rabbonim of his time. Rav Aryeh Leib was renowned for his hasmoda.
It is related that once, when in Frankfurt, he lodged at the home of Rav Pinchos Horowitz, mechaber of the Haflo’a and Ponim Yofos. The “simple” guest asked for three Gemaros for the night — Yevomos, Kesubos and Kiddushin. The Haflo’a was surprised, but willingly fulfilled his guest’s request. Some hours later, the Haflo’a peeked into the room of his guest and saw him laboring over the Gemara, learning daf by daf. By morning he had finished all three masechtos, no small feat by anyone’s standards. The Haflo’a began to ask him questions on his learning. Within minutes, he realized that this guest was none other than Rav Aryeh Leib, the Sha’agas Aryeh.
His first position was as Rosh Yeshiva in Volozhin, where one of his prized talmidim was Rav Chaim Volozhiner.
Interestingly, even after his sefer Sha’agas Aryeh was published, he found it hard to achieve a suitable position and was constantly forced to move on. But in 5526/1766 he was appointed Rav of Metz, where he served until his petira.
When he became Rav of Metz, the Sha’agas Aryeh was nearly seventy years old. The leaders of the community were concerned over the appointment because he was already an elderly man. He asked them how long they expected a Rav to serve. “For about twenty years,” they responded. He was niftar twenty years later, at ninety.
A few months before his petira, Rav Aryeh Leib invited the community to a Siyum HaShas. He was in especially high spirits at this Siyum. When he was asked the reason for his simcha, he explained that this was his thousandth Siyum on the Shas.
Rav Aryeh Leib was niftar on the 25th of Tammuz 5545/1785. (Some give the day of his petira as the 15th of Tammuz; other sources give it as the 25th of Sivan.)
He wrote Sha’agas Aryeh; Gevuras Ari on Maseches Yoma; and Turei Even on Maseches Rosh HaShana.
Zecher tzaddik livrachah.
