(By Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
The Tzaddik Rav Leib Sarah’s Saves a Yid from a blood libel
Reb Leib Sarah's was orphaned from his father at a young age, and was known as Reb Leib Sarah's, after his mother, who was named Sarah. When Leib Sarah's was almost 13 years old, before his Bar Mitzvah, his mother brought him to the Maggid of Mezritch, on Sunday the 17th of Tammuz for a Bracha. The Maggid told him that he would give him a Bar Mitzvah present, but no one knew what that meant, and no one saw him give the boy a gift. However, the heilige Baal Shem Tov revealed that Leib Sarah's received an additional soul, that of Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar - the "Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh" who passed away just two days ago, Erev Shabbos, the 15th of Tammuz, as a Bar Mitzvah gift.
After the passing of the Baal Shem Tov, Reb Leib Sarah's became close to the Baal Shem Tov's disciple and successor, Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritch. Much of his life Reb Leib Sarah's spent wandering through Poland, Galicia and neighboring districts, wherever Jews happened to be in trouble.
As he grew older, he worked diligently to support the .e''l miwicv He constantly saw with Ruach Hakodesh many decrees and evil plans devised against Yidden, and when he wanted to cancel such a decree or evil plan, he would travel far, with jxcd zvitw (a miraculous shortening of the trip). He would travel from his home in Russia to anywhere in the world in order to accomplish what he needed. He would do all of this on Erev Shabbos, and come home before Shabbos, that very same day!
Once, R' Yaakov Fish of Kalev related how Reb Leib Sarah’s saved him from danger: R' Yaakov’s hostel was always open to guests. All the Tzaddikim who came to Kalev stayed there. R' Yaakov had a very close relationship with the hidden Tzaddikim, and supported them too. Once, Reb Leib Sarah’s was a guest in Rav Yaakov’s home and he was well- received and greatly honored. During that stay, Reb Leib Sarah’s asked Rav Yaakov to prepare for him a private room with two fancy chairs and a nice candelabra to be placed on the tablecloth table. R' Yaakov did as ordered. He had no idea why Reb Leib wanted this setup! However he soon found out the reason.
Reb Leib asked R' Yaakov to go to the home of the minister named Kalo and tell him that Leib was calling for him. “How can I go there? The place is heavily guarded, and there are dangerous dogs!” “Nonetheless, you must go,” said Reb Leib. Reb Leib sent him together with one of his aides. In a miraculous manner, they soon found themselves in front of the minister who, once he heard Reb Leib’s message, replied, “I am coming at once!” The minister came to Reb Leib and they closeted themselves in that private room that R' Yaakov arranged and the two held a long, private discussion. When they came out, Reb Leib pointed to R' Yaakov and declared, “This is the R' Yaakov whom I told you about, that he is an expert in oxen. If you ever wish to buy oxen, take him with you to the fair. Please look at him and remember his face!” The entire episode was a wonder!
Thirty years have passed since this story, R' Yaakov Fish had long forgotten was transpired with him and Reb Leib. When suddenly a young Gentile worker who worked for him in the hostel disappeared. A libel was hatched by R' Yaakov’s gentile enemies and the local priest accusing him of murdering a Gentile boy who had been his servant and using his blood for matzohs! The priest paid the young lad to run away and produced false witnesses to testify in court. R' Yaakov was arrested, and put in prison among the criminals until the judgment.
When one day, the prison door opened and R’ Yaakov was led away by a officer who said that the minister Kalo has summoned him. R’ Yaakov was in a state of fear, and R' Yaakov promptly arrived at the minister’s headquarters. When the minister greeted Rav Yaakov, he saw that his oxen expert was down and in low spirits. “Why do you look so downcast?” he asked the expert. Rav Yaakov described the false accusations and the libel against him. “Don’t worry,” the minister attempted to calm him, “I will do my best to vindicate you from such ridiculous charges!” I heard that you are a expert on oxen and there is a oxen fair in Leipzig, and I need you to come along with me to be my expert.
R' Yaakov was perplexed as he wasn’t an expert on oxen at all, and thought there was a mistake of identification. However, inertly he felt that Hashem was on his side to be saved from the libel. R' Yaakov traveled with the minister to Leipzig, there was no oxen fair. When suddenly the minister revealed to R’ Yaakov his conversation with Reb Leib thirty years ago. He foretold that there would be a libel against you and the Rebbe commanded me to save you, and to remember your face. He stated that I should take you to Leipzig, and there we would locate the missing boy.
It didn’t take long and the missing Gentile servant boy, come forth and was crying that he wanted to go home, and that the priest had sent him away from his family against his will. The minister was shocked at the vision of the Rebbe, and they took the boy back with them to Kalev. Once they were back in Kalev, they hid the boy in R' Yaakov’s house until the day of the trial.
The trial began in court, and the prosecution witnesses were called to testify, and they attested that R' Yaakov murdered the boy who had been his servant to use his blood for matzohs. However, the defense presented their arguments. The judges who didn’t exactly have a liking for Jews, deliberated for a while, and were about to convict R' Yaakov, and hand down a harsh sentence. Suddenly the door of the court opened and Minister Kalo walked in with the apparently “dead” boy in front of the entire assembly! The truth had prevailed, and the judges saw that the libel was false! The priest was punished for his crimes. Reb Leib Sarah’s saved the life of R' Yaakov.
The minister told over the story and it was a Kiddush Hashem. R’ Yaakov lived until the age of 115. Reb Leib Sarah’s ben Rav Yosef was niftar the 4th of Adar `''pwz 1791, `''rif
