22 Shevat – Reb Leibele Eiger1 min read
22 Shevat is the yahrzeit of a talmid of the Kotzker Rebbe, Reb Yehuda Leib ben Shlomo Eiger zy”a, grandson of Reb Akiva Eiger. When Reb Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Ishbitz left Kotzk to lead his own court, Reb Leibele Eiger followed him. Still, he felt pained his whole life over separating from the Kotzker, and always felt a connection.
I heard from Rav Moshe Weinberger shlita that although Reb Leibele Eiger’s father wasn’t so happy about him becoming a Chosid, it’s a myth that he sat shiva for him. In fact, it was likely a direct result of his sending R’ Leibeleh to learn in the Yeshiva of the Chidushei HaRim.
Reb Leibele Eiger left this world on Friday night of Shabbos parshas Yisro. The date of his passing, כ”ב ב’שבט is equal to הר סיני, and Yisro has 72 pesukim, equal to his name, יהודה ליב (ליב is spelled with only 1 yud). The tzaddik was also 72 years old when he left the world, which the chassidim said was alluded to in the posuk את מספר ימיך אמלא – “the number of your days I will fill,” as the gematriya of אמלא is 72. If I may add, אמלא is equal in gematriya to יהודה ליב.
On the title page of his sefer, Toras Emes, it says the tzaddik passed away on the Shabbos when we read the words עלה אל האלקים, alluding to Reb Leibele’s ascending to Hashem. If I may add, the word אל may be seen as the initials of לייבלה איגר.
Rav Moshe Weinberger shlita said that from a young age, Reb Leibele Eiger was known to conduct himself with great personal holiness, which he discusses in almost all of his Torah, along with the subject of Shabbos Kodesh. This is reflected in the day of his passing – Shabbos Yisro during the days of Shovavim, when the wordsויאמר אל העם היו נכנים לשלשת ימים אל תגשו אל אשה were read.
The words לשלשת ימים equal שובבים ת“ת.
The opening letters of לשלשת ימים אל are the initials of יהודה ליב איגר.
The opening letters of אל תגשו are the initials of תורת אמת, the title of his sefer.
Zechuso yagein aleinu!
